


“Smile Now, Dear.  It’s Sunrise.”

by HummingSparrow



Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, BAMF Reader, Childhood Trauma, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Hurt/Comfort, Insomnia, Nightmares, POV Alternating, Reader kinda has PTSD sorry :(, Reader tries to look on the bright side of things but has a hard time taking care of themself, Reader-Insert, Scars, Self-Doubt, Self-Esteem Issues, Some References to Princess Mononoke | Mononoke-Hime | もののけ姫, The Great Seven are just kinda hanging out in your head, The Great Seven are slightly OOC, The Great Seven are soft with the Reader/Yuu and are kinda protective over them, The Reader changed the Seven a lot with shared hardships and adventures, hints of torture, reader can use magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:40:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 85,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26540788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HummingSparrow/pseuds/HummingSparrow
Summary: {Hey, Matchstick.  Can we burn this birdbrain’s tail feathers?} The Lord of the Underworld asked.‘No.  No, we cannot, Lord Bonfire.’ You respond mentally with exhaustion while replying aloud to Headmaster Crowley. “Thank you for providing me shelter.”{No, no.  Hades, for once, has a very brilliant suggestion.  This...Crowley...is going to make us stay at this rundown, pest-infested piece of despicable trash...!} Queen Grimhilde hisses in your head.  You want to slam your forehead against a wall, hopefully knocking yourself out in the process.  Instead, you follow Headmaster Crowley into the deteriorating dorm while Queen Grimhilde continues. {But we should let him suffer first--slowly.  Vessel, you should concoct a poison for Crowley.  I shall assist you.}You are so tired at this point.~~In which the Reader is from an alternate timeline of Twisted Wonderland, where there was a great war against Chernabog the Devil.  In this slightly different timeline, the Reader finds out that the Great Seven are seen as magnificent, respected wizards by many in the land...and there was no war.  The Reader just wants to sleep for a decade at this point, but Fate had other plans for them.
Relationships: Everyone & Reader, Everyone & Yuu | Player (Twisted-Wonderland)
Comments: 249
Kudos: 687





	1. Frost, Smoke, and Fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is more of a self-indulgent thing, really. I hope that anyone reading this will have fun though! :)
> 
> Hope you all are doing well by the way. Here's a virtual s'more. :D

War was the world you were born into. Instead of air, you had breathed in suffocating smoke. Your eyes burned, always feeling too dry and sore no matter how much you blinked. You haven’t seen a blue sky for quite some time.

But, perhaps, tomorrow will be different, since today...you will defeat the Devil. The Seven in your head are much more quiet today, focused along with you to send spell after spell at charging imps, dead horsemen, and other various, vengeful spirits of warriors that came charging down the mountain towards you. Your bare feet slid across soot and snow, feeling magic buzz around you as you grit your teeth, numb fingers moving to send a ball of blue fire at a cackling imp.

{Hey, Matchstick.} A voice rasps in your head.

“Yes, _Bonfire_?” You respond back dryly, ducking behind a formation of rocks when multiple arrows come flying at you. You swipe at your face to keep sweat from dripping into your eyes, but you grimace when you only feel grime getting smudged onto your forehead and left temple.

{ ** _Hey_** , I thought we agreed that you would add a ‘ _Lord_ ’ to that nickname if you were gonna use it, Matchstick. Anyways, you’re wasting energy on these smallfry.} Lord ‘Bonfire’ grumbled before his voice turned almost gleeful. You can just imagine him tapping his smokey, gray fingers together as he shows his sharp teeth off with a grin, fiery, blue hair swaying on his head. {Let’s just burn them with one quick blow.}

{Using a large scale attack would also be a waste of time and energy.} A different voice drawled immediately. You briefly pop your head up, shoulder aching as you throw an ice spell at a swarm of imps. You watch the little demons get frozen in an instant before ducking back down when another wave of arrows went flying towards you. {Instead of dealing with these mongrels, we should slip through them and head straight for the Head.}

“What path do you suggest I take, Lord Scar?” You murmur, wincing when your thigh began to throb with pain again.

Glancing down, you saw red staining the fabric of your pants once more. Apparently, your healing spell hadn’t been enough and the wound had reopened while you were running. With a quick chant under your breath, the pain lessened to a dull throb once more; you would have to properly heal the wound later. You sense disapproval from a different inhabitant in your head and smile briefly at the concern before refocusing on the next few words.

{That recent spell of yours was effective in making the enemy focus their attacks on your left, leaving your right side--not exactly open, but easier to travel through with less interruptions.} Lord Scar explained smoothly.

Taking a short peek over the rock formation you were hiding behind, you could see that Lord Scar’s words were true; with the ice blocking off the right side, the enemy was converging more at the left. You narrow your gaze slightly, moving the back of your hand over your forehead again to keep the sweat from dripping into your eyes as you ducked back down again.

“Alrighty then…”

Magic tingling at your fingertips, ice forms in your left hand and blue flames appear in your right. You clap your hands together sharply, magic clashing with each other. A large cloud of steam quickly spreads through the area, concealing you as you quickly leap over the rock formation and dash to the right side, past the frozen imps.

You sprint forward, heart pounding loudly in your ears as you make sure not to trip on any stray rocks. It takes a few minutes, but you burst out of the steam cloud and find yourself much further up the mountain now. But a grin, that feels more like a grimace, spreads across your face when you see what’s in front of you.

“Ah. He summoned more horsemen and warlocks this time.” You mutter before diving forward and rolling when one of the skeleton-knights throws a spear at you.

{We have no time for this, Diamond.} A different voice hissed sharply in your head. The nickname from the usually stern sorcerer somewhat softened his words. You then sensed a thin blanket of hypnotism, only used to further dull the pain you were feeling all over your body; your actions were still your own. {Stick to the cat’s plan.}

The spear stabs the ground behind you just as you slap your right hand down on a clear patch of dirt and rock. It all turns to sand, springing up and crashing like a wave onto the knights, horses, and dark wizards in front of you. You dart past when you see an opening, feet slipping slightly on the snow but still moving forward.

Your breath comes out as white wisps, lungs feeling like there were ice shards in them. As you make your way further up the mountain, dodging arrows, spears, and sword swings, you find yourself getting more and more exhausted. You’re limiting the amount of spells you are casting, and avoiding your enemies as best as you can, but you feel yourself slowing down, eyes drooping a little--

{ ** _VESSEL!_** }

Jolting your gaze open and upwards, you saw a massive, molten ball hurtling towards you from the sky.

Oh. _Fudge_.

Stumbling slightly, you screech to a halt, toes sinking into the snow as you snap a hand out to the side. A silver trident appears in your grasp and you slam the end down onto the ground. The snow nearby quickly turns to water, and you then spin the trident around. The water gathers and quickly shoots forward to meet the giant, flaming ball heading towards you. The gush of water, as strong as a waterfall, manages to change the trajectory of the massive boulder and it lands somewhere behind you, rolling down the hill with a jarring thud, probably crushing a few of the enemies you passed by.

{ _Careful_ , little guppy.} A different voice hummed as your vision began to fuzz slightly. The cool, phantom, thick fingers of Mistress Ursula brush over your temple briefly before fading, soothing against the burning fever you were currently feeling as you focused. {That is quite a powerful spell you are casting.}

You exhale sharply then, releasing the spell to watch the water disperse and rain down as you then continue to make your way up the mountain. You weren’t that far from your goal, it seems, if He was already throwing large, molten boulders down the mountain. With a flick of your wrist, the trident disperses into bubbles, your breath coming out harsher as the air becomes thinner, your path steeper now.

{How many times have we told you to pay attention to your surroundings!?} The same, shrill voice that had called out to you earlier scolds sharply. Oh, Queen Grimhilde sounds like she wants to tear her hair out. You smile wearily as you continue your run up the mountain, grunting when you had to jump up to grab onto a ledge sticking out above you.

{Oh, don’t be so harsh to our little hedgehog!} Another voice titters. You can sense the Queen of Hearts’ fingers, phantom-like, brush over your head soothingly, mindful of the injuries there. {They are quite exhausted right now.}

{Then they should take the rejuvenating serum!} Queen Grimhilde argues back. You can imagine her perfectly manicured nails tapping along a flat surface irritably.

“I thought we were saving those for when we finally clash with _Him_.” You protest with a wheeze as you pull yourself up onto the ledge, quickly eyeing where you had to jump to next.

**_Ugh_** , you feel like throwing up right now. You haven't eaten anything in days though, so at least nothing will come out...probably. You rub at your eyes with a groan, other hand moving down to your bare feet. You had abandoned your shoes a long while ago when you saw that they had no grip on the mountain, but feeling your feet now…

You grimace. The pain may be dulled at the moment, but you can feel how shredded they feel. When you pull your hand away from the arch of your left foot, you see red staining your fingertips. Another thing that you will have to patch up later.

{Take at least one dose of the potion, Dragon-Child.} A smooth voice murmured calmly. You jolt when something nips at your ear, gently tugging it to keep you awake. When you turn your head slightly to look, you see a crow perched there on your right shoulder. It was apparent that Diablo, the crow, was back from scouting ahead. {We are almost there, but you are running out of the necessary energy to reach the end.}

Sighing heavily you fumble for the chest pocket on your coat, pulling out a flask with iridescent liquid inside. With a pop of the tiny cork, you quickly down the potion, ignoring the bitter aftertaste before tucking the empty tube back into your coat pocket.

Immediately, your senses become more alert and a rush of energy pulses through you. You cough harshly, gaze snapping open from their sleepy state as you quickly scan the almost vertical climb in front of you. Diablo clicks softly and preens the hair around your ear, causing a smile to quirk the corners of your lips upwards.

The crow then flew away with a beat of his onyx wings, cawing softly. Your gaze immediately followed the crow, watching as it cawed back at you from time to time. Ah, so that’s the path that was safe to take, huh? With a deep inhale, you then began springing from rock to rock, hand reaching out to grab ledges when there were no footholds.

You hear a rumble above, lifting your head in time to catch a large, bat-like wing stretching out of the smoke and stormy, gray clouds before it was folded in again, hidden once more. A chill goes through you briefly at what you had seen, but a pulse of warmth and reassurance flows through the bond you have with the Seven.

“What should we do when this war is finally over?” You then ask aloud with a smile on your face. “I’m thinking of getting a house, or a cottage.”

{With a rose garden?} The Queen of Hearts inquired as your fingers grip onto a stone edge.

“Of course.” You reply with a laugh as you pull yourself higher up the mountain with a grunt. “They would look very beautiful, and I’ll make sure they are red ones so we don’t have to paint them.”

{Somewhere filled with plenty of sunlight,} Scar adds softly, some annoyance leaking into his next few words. {And I’d rather not be woken from unnecessary sounds.} 

{Perhaps by the ocean.} Mistress Ursula hummed. {I’m sure you would find the crash of the waves rather soothing.}

{But nowhere too bright though, okay, Matchstick?} Lord Hades groans. {I don’t wanna wake up every freakin’ morning with the sunlight in my face. I’m sure Ms. Horns would agree with me.}

“I’ll make sure to get thick drapes.” You reply with a lopsided smile when you hear Mistress Maleficent offer a hum of agreement.

{I agree with the lion that you need a place that is quiet.} Queen Grimhilde then says sternly. {Don’t think that you’ve escaped your lessons yet, Vessel.}

{What the hell are they goin’ to use good table etiquette for, _Hildey_?} Lord Hades asks incredulously as you carefully scale a good portion of the mountain in front of you. Almost there. {Matchstick has a right to do what they want after all _this_ crap.}

{I _meant_ that we can focus more on their potion lessons.} The Evil Queen sniffed, and you imagine her looking down her nose at the Lord of the Underworld, eyes challenging and cool. {The Vessel still has a long way to go to get at my level of potion making. It will be helpful for them.} Queen Grimhilde then tacked on swiftly. {But good table etiquette is something that the Vessel should know! I don’t wish to have them embarrass themselves in front of others. I will not have them eating like a heathen if they can help it.}

_If they can help it_. You wince a little, remembering the times where you had been so **_hungry_** , that you must’ve looked like a slobbering animal when you came across your first bit of food in weeks. But then you feel gentle, ghostly fingers touch your right cheek, painted nails barely brushing your skin, and you relax. Queen Grimhilde had told you countless times before that eating like a pig because you were starving was nothing for you to feel guilty about. The only thing she had scolded you about was for feeling guilty.

{Far from those **_Kingdom_** rodents…} Lord Jafar then says sharply, and a phantom twinge of pain goes through your wrists and ankles, shivering when you recall a bad memory. You flex your fingers, grimacing when your grip on a rock made a small gash appear on your right palm. Breathing out through your nose sharply, you leap up to a different ledge of rock. {We want you to live a life _free_ from them.}

The Kingdom you serve in this war…they were……’good’ in a way. The Kingdom of Fantasia was fighting this war to keep _Him_ from taking over the world after all, protecting innocents and so forth. But the Seven in your head wanted to _**smite**_ and **_ruin_** them for...for what the Kingdom has done to you-- ~~ _chains, pain, fear_~~ \--but you just want to forget all of that. The past will always come back to you in your nightmares, but you always try your best to ignore it while you are awake. And so you shake off the memories and continue to climb.

{A place far from the city light.} Mistress Maleficent then offers softly. {A place where you can see the stars, because I know how much you adore them, Dragon-Child.}

Something that wasn’t smoke, dust, or dirt, makes your eyes burn and you inhale sharply. But you quickly gather yourself and give a watery smile when you finally reach the top of the mountain, bare feet sinking into the snow.

“...That would be nice.” You reply softly as you reach into your coat pocket again for a different potion, watching the bright, violet liquid inside for a moment before you pop the cork off and down it.

Diablo lands on your shoulder, cawing loudly as a rush of magic surges through you, exhaustion completely forgotten for now as you raise your gaze upwards, tucking the empty vial back into your coat. Narrowed, glowing, yellow eyes gaze down at you behind the clouds and smoke. You quickly brace yourself before large, leathery wings beat harshly above you, revealing the one that had started this war.

“Hello!” You greet, as the leader reveals Himself, wings arching up.

Chernabog glares down at you, his horns glint slightly from the raging, orange-red fire circling him. His wings flare outwards, looking like twin mountains behind him, his slitted, yellow eyes reminding you of crescent moons. A single swing of Chernabog’s hand could wipe out a small army, but you felt no fear at the moment. You stand tall, inhaling and exhaling slowly, magic buzzing around you as you focus.

“ **I THOUGHT I HAD THROWN YOU DOWN THE MOUNTAIN YEARS AGO, SWORD OF FANTASIA…** ” Chernabog rumbles, sounding like thunder as he gazes down at you, the corners of his mouth curling upwards slightly with amusement, showing off his fangs. You dislike that title; you never wanted it.

“I’m surprisingly hard to kill!” You reply, your voice echoing around you in the mountains. You roll one shoulder, your body remembering your first encounter with Chernabog-- _shattered bones and multiple lacerations_. “And I had my dear friends with me.”

“ **YOUR EFFORTS ARE WORTHLESS, CHILD.** ” Chernabog huffs as he brings a massive hand down towards you, tearing through the air. “ **YOUR KINGDOM WILL FALL…** ”

...The Kingdom of Fantasia was not your kingdom, and they never will be. But you will protect the innocents with all that you have--that was all you thought of the people of Fantasia. Your curse-contract with the Kingdom would force you to serve them all until Chernabog was finally defeated. Now...today it was time to see if you could finally take your freedom.

“We’ll see,” You murmur in response as magic abruptly surges around you; Diablo caws earnestly on your shoulder, beady, black eyes starting to flicker with a green light. The Seven whisper or shout their own agreement before you leap forward.

~~

…

…

…

...After what seems like _hours_ , and **_hours_** of clashing with each other, a spell that combined the magic of the Seven is what it took to finally defeat Chernabog. Chanting the spell had taken a while, leaving your throat dry and sore as you kept breathing in the smoky and cold air around you.

But you had managed in the end.

The spell had pierced the Devil through the heart, his inky-black blood spilling everywhere, creating waterfalls of darkness cascading down the mountain, and the clouds above began to part. You watch as sunlight breaks through, and you see your very first sunrise in years ever since you’ve gone deep into enemy territory.

But your tired eyes slowly turn from the beautiful sight and back to the being dying beside you. You are catching your breath as you sit beside Chernabog’s slowly disintegrating body, the ashes drifting away in a passing breeze as black blood continues to trail down the mountain. To be honest, all that was left was the Devil’s head, and you could only gaze back at the yellow eyes watching you.

{...You should not pity Him.} Lord Jafar muttered quietly in your head.

“I wonder...if things could have...b-been different.” You reply, speaking both to Lord Jafar and Chernabog. Those crescent moon eyes merely became more slitted as they gazed at you. Your next few words were directed at the Devil. “I...had actually wanted...to know more about you, but with you aiming to take over the land and, eventually, the world, we couldn’t have decent conversation with each other. I wonder if...I would have u-understood you.”

Chernabog only stares at you, gaze calculating as his chin begins to disintegrate now. A silence falls upon the both of you, and your eyes start to droop shut with exhaustion. The war should be over now, huh? Diablo, one of your familiars, has now gone to rest; if he were to be summoned again, you would have to wait a while as the crow recovers his energy. You jolt when your head nods forward heavily. Yikes, you want to sleep for a decade and take a bath...but you have a few things left to do…

{You don’t have to return to the Kingdom for anything.} Lord Hades then scoffed in your head. {We broke the contract-curse they had on you by defeating this lug, so we’re free to go to our little retirement home! C’mon, Matchstick, let’s just make our way out of this place and--}

“ **SOON…** ” You blink your eyes open, everything slightly hazy as you try to focus on Chernabog again. The Devil’s mouth was still intact to speak to you, and you shiver as his cold, scentless breath rushes past you as he speaks. “ **... _YOU_...WILL FEEL MY **_H A T E_ ** _......_ AND SUFFER...AS _I_...HAVE SUFFERED…**”

Before you could decipher Chernabog’s words, a sharp, cold pain goes up your right arm, and you quickly retract it from where it was propping you up slightly from on the snow. When you take a look at the gash on your right palm, you could’ve sworn you saw something black wiggle its way into the wound, but spots were appearing in your vision again and you were so, so very tire--

Something sinks deep into your left shoulder blade, and you jerk forward slightly, hissing at the new pain that abruptly blossoms there. An arrow?

{Cub!} Lord Scar calls out sharply.

You spin around in time to grab another arrow in the air, stopping it from stabbing you in the back. But perhaps you spun around too quickly, collapsing onto your side when your vision darkens around the edges. Ugh, the repercussions of the potions you had taken and your wounds were all starting to affect you now. But through your hazy vision, you see the approaching minions of Chernabog.

{Ugh, shoulda’ known that some of these pieces of crap would stick around. You forget sometimes that a few of these little bastards are actually loyal!} Lord Hades rages in your head. {Let’s burn them all!}

Blue flames appear at your fingers but they extinguish as soon as they had appeared. You cough harshly as your arms buckle and you collapse, face-down on the snowy ground, grip slackening on the arrow you had caught. It’s very cold, and you’re _really_ tired right now. Couldn’t you just...sleep?

{Stay awake. You _cannot_ rest here.} Lord Jafar orders sternly.

You really _do_ want to stay awake, but everything feels heavy at the moment. Looks like not even a bit of hypnotism will be able to keep you awake at this point. The goal of defeating Chernabog had been what was driving you the most, and now that the Devil is gone, all that determination seems to have vanished. You don’t have the will or energy to continue much today. You’ve also used up all of the rejuvenating potions too during your fight with Chernabog. The shrieking and outrage from the minions is getting louder, a few of the Seven are urging you to get up, but you don’t think that you can move anymore...

{ _Mirror, Mirror on the wall..._ } Queen Grimhilde then murmurs harshly.

“Q-Queen...Grimhi--?”

{ ** _Hush_** , Vessel! Save your strength.} The Evil Queen snaps as you feel a slight tug, magic tingling over your body as your eyebrows furrow slightly. {I am going to get us out of here.}

You don’t have a chance to respond as your sight begins to fade completely. At this point, all you can hope for is a dreamless sleep or a painless death. Before your consciousness leaves you, you thought you felt something-- _or someone_ \--take your hand, squeezing it softly.

It felt like they didn’t want to let you go. 

~~

…

…

…You hear... _something_. You peel your eyes open, only able to crack them open slightly--but it didn’t seem to matter, since all you saw was darkness. You want to try calling out to the Seven, but everything seems so muddled and far away. You find yourself sinking back into nothingness after hearing the soft neigh of a horse once more.

~~

{--on, Matchstick, _kiddo_. Please don’t be dead. Don’t let the flame die out…!}

{If the little guppy were dead, then we all wouldn’t be here talking to each other right now.}

You blearily open your eyes at the sound of Lord Hades and Mistress Ursula speaking in your head. It hurts, but you’re glad to hear their voices. What about everyone else though? Were they still here with you?

~~_You don’t want to be alone again._ ~~

“E..veryone…?” You call out softly to the darkness in front of you. You know that your eyes are open, but it was pitch black. Where were you? A prison cell?

{We’re all here, little hedgehog.} The Queen of Hearts coos softly. {You haven’t lost us.}

You exhale weakly with relief, wincing when your ribs protest sharply--in fact, your entire body protests at any movement you make. You shut your eyes for a moment, not that it really makes a difference with how dark it was, but you try to recount what had happened. You...defeated Chernabog with the help of the Seven. The underlings came to avenge their master, but Queen Grimhilde had pulled you out of that situation…

…

...Where were you right now?

“Q..ueen...G-Grimhilde…?” You rasp out before coughing. Crap, your throat feels so dry at the moment.

{I know what you want to ask me, Vessel.} The Evil Queen replies, and you’re shocked with how... ** _unsure_** she sounds. {...But I have no indication of where we are right now.}

{What? How the _hell_ do you not know where we are right now!?} Lord Hades groaned.

{I had a perfect image of where we would be transferred to, but something had…... _interfered_.} Queen Grimhilde murmured, voice now dark and calculating.

Her words put you on alert slightly, and you move your right hand forward t--...you pause when something bumps your bruised knuckles. Shifting slightly, you move your left hand up to place the palm flat on the...surface in front of you. Now that you feel it, you suddenly notice how... _cramped_ your surroundings are, like you were inside...a box. You don’t like how **_trapped_** you feel, air starting to enter and leave your lungs at a faster pace. Why were you--!?

{ _Easy_ there, Matchstick.} Lord Hades murmured softly, the raspy voice somewhat soothing as a warmth settled over you. You abruptly take a deep breath...and let it out slowly, repeating the process so your heart doesn’t jump out of your chest. {...There we go. Now that you’re calmer, let’s bust you out of this little thing, ‘kay?}

“Right…” You croak out softly, blinking away the wetness in your eyes as blue sparks appear at your fingertips. Huh, you had felt like passing out a while ago-- _How long have you been unconscious?_ \--but now you felt a bit more alert. Adrenaline and some ‘sleep’ does wonders for the body, you guess.

With a blast of fire, the lid of the box goes flying forward, crashing into a nearby pillar. The lid instantly turns into splinters upon impact with the stone surface. You’re about to take a step forward, startled when you find nothing except air beneath your foot, so you quickly grip the edge of the box, heart leaping into your throat as you keep yourself from falling; it honestly wasn’t a long drop below you, but with your body in the shape that it is, suddenly falling without being prepared would have ended badly for you…….wait.

Blinking through the haze in your eyes, you turn your head stiffly to study the shape of the box...or rather, the **_coffin_** you had been in. A slight chill goes through you as you study the coffin, uncomfortable and so freaking confused.

“...Have I died?” You mutter under your breath incredulously.

{Since your body is still completely wrecked, I don’t think so.} Lord Hades scoffs while you then glance at the dimly lit room you were in.

There was a single, large door in the room. Ceiling to floor windows made up most of the walls of the room, slightly covered by rose-red curtains. There were stone pillars with candle-lit lanterns on them, splashing a soft, orange glow over everything in the area. You raise an eyebrow at the sight of other coffins floating around before lifting your gaze slightly. A chandelier hangs in the center of the room, crystals glinting in the bare lighting of the room. You don’t see or sense any other inhabitants in the area, but you would keep your guard up.

{Plus, since you’re such a goody-two-shoes, I’m pretty sure you would’ve ended up in a much more...heavenly place, Matchstick.} Lord Hades says with amusement. 

A lopsided smile appears on your lips at this before you lower your gaze, judging the distance before jumping out of the coffin you were in. A hiss escapes between your teeth when your shredded feet hit the cold, stone ground. While the coolness is a relief, the injuries still sting sharply. You land with a crouch, carefully straightening up and you blink your eyes harshly, raising a hand to rub…

...What the heck are you wearing?

Making a sound of confusion, you look at the long, black, skin-tight sleeves adorning your arms, the cloth covering the backs of your hands with the help of a black ring wrapped around each middle finger. Looking down at yourself, you saw that there was an extra layer of clothing: obsidian, silk robes with royal purple and threads of gold lining the insides and outsides. You feel uncomfortable that your clothes had been changed while you had been unconscious.

{Well, don’t you look nice--despite your, well, mashed potato face at the moment.} Lord Hades wolf-whistled, as you check the clothes wearily in response, feeling around your shoulders to find a hood resting on them. Queen Grimhilde seems to send approval through the bond as well as you continue to study the rather extravagant clothing.

“While the clothes are...n-nice and comfortable, Lord Bonfire, I am _not_ comfortable with the fact that my clothes have been changed without me knowing.” You quickly tug the hood up and over your head, relieved that it lessened the amount of light that could reach your sight. While the room was dimly lit, any light seemed to make your current headache worse; the hood was a life-saver--... _oh no_.

You pat the robes down uselessly, and you squeezed your eyes shut when you found that you could feel none of the, admittedly, small amount of belongings you had carried with you in the pockets of the long, thick coat you usually wore. All you had now were the clothes you were currently wearing and your seven companions. Ah, and let’s not forget the wounds you still need to take care of.

And speaking of wounds, the arrow in your shoulder...it feels like it’s gone, but the injury remains. You grimace at the feeling of sticky warmth soaking your left shoulder blade. If you had a mirror, you wonder if there’s a good portion of the back of the robes stained red with your blood; at least the black cloth will camouflage the blood a little. Everything really feels like shit at the moment, and you seriously need to take care of that before you pass out again.

But first...you need to establish where the hell you were at the moment. You would be a sitting duck without knowing your surroundings. Were you in enemy territory? Were you back at the Kingdom? Were you in an entirely different--

You tense when you hear something heading towards the only door in the room. You glance over your shoulder at the door before darting your gaze around. You had to hide. _Quickly_. Limping hurriedly to one of the windows, you hide behind the curtains, trying to slow down and calm your breathing to be barely noticeable.

{Dragon-Child, the _floor_ …} Mistress Maleficent abruptly warns.

Blinking, you peek past the curtains and cringe at the sight of red half-footprints and little drops of blood leading towards where you were. With a quick snap of your fingers, you drew water from the air and it went down to wash away the blood staining the floor. Once the water lifts up from the now wet, but blood-free stone ground, it has turned red with blood. You move the dirty water towards you, evaporating it all with a burst of blue flames from your hand. Just as the lingering steam disperses, the doors to the circular room are slammed open. You duck behind the curtains again, stumbling. You end up sitting down heavily with a wince, biting back a noise of pain.

“Crap, crap, crap! People will be here soon…!” A voice hisses sharply. “Gotta get a uniform on quick!”

You’re surprised to hear no footsteps. Carefully shifting to glance past the curtains, you see a…cat? A floating cat. He-- _you think it’s a he judging by the tone of his voice_ \--was most likely using magic to keep himself in the air. You quickly put up a simple spell that would hide your scent and your magic signature.

{Haha, look Kitty-Cat, it’s your cousin!} Lord Hades comments.

{I will **_rip_** your tongue out of your mouth.} Lord Scar growls in response.

You ignore them for now, studying the floating, gray cat scratching at a lock on one of the coffins, briefly distracted by the feline’s swaying, pronged tail. And were those flames coming out of the cat’s ears? You’ve never seen a magical creature like this one before. You watch as the cat grow increasingly frustrated, now yanking at the lid of a coffin that wasn't yours.

And what was he after? He mentioned...a uniform. Could it be what you were wearing right now? Why would the feline need clothes? Your focus then moves over to the door that is open now. You should probably leave and try and map out where you currently were. But you had to take care of a certain issue first.

Now that you were sitting down, you could try and wrap up your feet so they wouldn’t leave red footprints everywhere. Advanced healing spells would probably knock you the hell out with how you currently were, so a pathetic patch-up was all you could do at the moment. That way, you wouldn’t leave tracks behind when you left and explored the area.

Under your breath, you chant a silencing spell--one that was strong enough to hide nothing louder than a heavy book hitting the ground. Silently apologizing to Queen Grimhilde-- _and perhaps whoever had made these robes_ \--you begin ripping the lower edges of the robes. You hear the Evil Queen’s scandalized gasp while you then use the cloth to wrap it around your bleeding feet, biting your lower lip harshly at the twinges of pain.

Checking your feet, the blood hasn’t soaked through your makeshift bandages yet, but you would have to hurry before they do. Glancing around the curtains again, you cringe when you see that the cat has floated over to where your open coffin is, sniffing around it with a scrunch in his nose. Oh, you haven’t cast a spell over the entire room to get rid of your scent--only yourself currently. And your little clean-up had been only done with water after all.

{You are in no state to engage with any kind of enemy at the moment. Leave this room for now and find a place with healing supplies.} Queen Grimhilde murmurs sternly while you study the rather plump cat with curiosity. You sense no malice from the feline. What if he was friendly?

{I always adore your curiosity, but it’s best not to risk anything now, little guppy.} Mistress Ursula hums, and so you exhale softly before shifting behind the curtains, trying to swiftly, yet quietly make your way to the door while ducking behind the other drapes from time to time, tugging your hood down further.

When you’re right at the open entrance, you abruptly note the silence in the room. You could no longer hear the cat’s grumbling and frantic scrambling. Smiling nervously, you glance over your shoulder, and wide, shocked, blue eyes meet your gaze. Oh. You've been spotted. With a small wave, you then dart out of the room, ignoring the stinging in your feet.

“ ** _Hey_** \--!” The cat-monster’s growl is cut off as you slam the doors behind you.

You give yourself a small head start by melting and cooling the metal of the door handles together with blue fire and ice magic before pushing away. You stumble forward a little as you began to run, listening to the cat slam into the door harshly. You hope he didn’t hit his head.

“ _Sorry_ , that was sloppy of me.” You wheeze under your breath as you quickly make your way down a stone hallway, barely having the time to observe your surroundings; you wanted to put distance between yourself and the cat first before you could go investigate anything.

{Don’t apologize, little hedgehog!} The Queen of Hearts replies as you turn a corner, grimacing when you hear wood splintering behind you. Oh boy, it looks like the cat-monster had broken through the door; you idly wonder if the feline can use fire since his ears were lit.

A ball of blue flames, that wasn’t yours, whizzing past your head was your answer.

“ _Fu’naaah_!” The cat cries out behind you as you run down the hallway. You release the silencing spell since it was useless at this point, but you kept the scent-canceling one incase you manage to juke the feline and find a place to hide. “Stop right there and give that uniform to me, the Great Lord Grim, before I **roast** you!”

The Great Lord Grim? Was that his name? What a mouthful. And was this cat the one who had captured you and stuffed you inside that coffin? No, if anything, it seems that this cat is an intruder in this place. As you dodge another ball of fire, you flit your gaze to the right to see multiple doors lining the walls. When you glance to the left, the hallway opened up to some sort of courtyard, apple trees and bushes lining the area with a stone fountain at the center. It was also dark at the moment, so you wondered if it was night time or early morning. 

Another ball of flames distracted pulled you from your thoughts, and you then wondered about how you would lose the cat-monster chasing you. He just wanted your uniform, right? Maybe you could--

{No. If this is all you have for clothes, you cannot give it up--even if you want to use it to throw off our pursuer.} Queen Grimhilde says sternly.

{Yeah, do you wanna run around naked?} Lord Hades interjects, more amusement curling around your head in his next few words. {I didn’t know you were into that sort of thing~!}

“I’m **_not_**!” You reply instantly, flushing slightly with embarrassment at Lord Hades’ words.

“What was that, human!? You’re not gonna stop!?” The cat-- _Grim_ \--shouts behind you, seemingly becoming more enraged at your words. When you glance over your shoulder, you see his eyes glow even brighter as he continues to fly after you. “Then you’re gonna get it now!”

Grim takes in a deep breath, and you see smoke wisping out of the corners of his mouth. You grimace briefly, before an idea comes to you when you see a turn coming up in the hallway. Just as Grim spits out a wave of blue flames from his mouth, you turn the corner and immediately reach for the first set of large doors there on the side, throwing them open.

With a flick of your wrist, a mirage of yourself continues to run down the new hallway; it wouldn’t last long, but it should be enough to make Grim lose sight of the real you. You then enter the room and quickly shut the doors behind you, doing your best to not make too much sound so Grim wouldn’t end up turning his attention away from your running mirage.

“Get back here, you little--...!” You hear Grim’s voice pass the doors before growing softer, distant.

Had the illusion worked...? You hope so, since your legs suddenly decide to give up on you and you fall on your butt with a grunt, breathing harshly as you shut your eyes for a moment, sweat rolling down the side of your face.

The cool wood behind you feels nice as you catch your breath, wincing when your ribs and pretty much your entire body screams at you again. Looks like all of that adrenaline is starting to wear off. You shift slightly and open your eyes to look down at your feet again, grimacing when you see a drop of red staining the ground; it was apparent that the blood has soaked through your bandages--

“Good evening.” A low voice murmurs from the side.

You startle, back ramrod straight as you whip your head to the side, black edging at your sight from the quick movements; God, your head hurts right now. This room is thankfully dark as well for your headache, but it seems that the dimness would work against you now, since all you could see of the newcomer were glowing, green eyes. Why hadn’t the Seven said anything?

{We had been trying to warn you, dear Dragon-Child.} Mistress Maleficent says softly, and you blink with mild surprise before sending a silent apology through the bonds. {You are quite out of it at the moment.}

“G-Good evening…?” You rasp out with uncertainty. So it was night time? Good to know. You then dart your gaze around the area, finding stacks of books, shelves filled with books, and tables partially covered with books. Some of the books were just floating in the air, crystal-like lanterns barely lighting the place. Were you in a library? Or was this place this stranger’s study room? You bring the hood down further on your head again, head ducking down slightly but still carefully keeping an eye on the newcomer. “Sorry to...intrude.”

“This is a library, free for all students to use. You aren’t intruding at all.” The stranger replies. Ah, so it was a library...but did this person say ‘students’? Were you at a school? What a strange place to end up in...

And...was this person the one who had messed up Queen Grimhilde’s transportation spell? Your gaze wearily stares back into those green eyes, but all you see is curiosity and caution as the stranger seems to study you. There is no familiarity in the green gaze, so perhaps this person wasn’t involved with your teleporting mishap. The person then looks a little annoyed when he studies your robes; was he mad that you ruined them? You then tuck your feet in abruptly when the newcomer’s gaze darts further downwards, calculating.

“...You are hurt.” The person-- _a young man by the sound of his voice_ \--states as he continues to gaze at you.

{Yeah, no shit, _dumbass_.} Lord Hades remarks snarkily while you fumble for a response.

“I, uh, had a little accident.” Was all you could say. You then press a hand to the cool, wooden door behind you and attempt to stand up with shaking legs. “And I was intending to take care of it. B-But I, er, got lost on my way and--”

Your knees are about to buckle when a sharp pain shoots through your feet again--but the stranger abruptly moves forward from the shadows and grasps your forearm tightly to keep you from bashing your knees on the ground; you can’t even flinch back like usual. Blinking your eyes rapidly, you then raise your gaze, having the chance to take in the stranger’s features properly with better lighting.

The owner of the green eyes has very pale skin, silky, raven locks framing his face and going down to rest at his shoulders and slightly past them. And it looked like he was wearing a...uniform of sorts. It looked like a three-piece suit: a white dress-shirt beneath a green vest that matched his eyes, a striped tie, a black jacket, and black slacks. And the suit lapels, including the edges of the green vest, seemed to be lined with golden thread.

Queen Grimhilde seems to appreciate the simple, yet sharp, design of the uniform. And wow, he was tall, standing a good foot-- _and maybe more_ \--taller than you. You crane your head upwards to look at his face properly and--......were those horns?

Long, black, curved horns to be exact; they strongly reminded you of a _certain_ someone. He had pointed ears as well. You blink slowly and stretch your senses out slightly, a tang of powerful magic brushing against yours briefly. You quickly pull back your magic before he could notice anything.

He was a draconic fae? Like Mistress Maleficent? Questions are filling your head, but they go silent when the fae inclines his head at you, studying you once more--and you abruptly realize that your hood has fallen back when you had almost kissed the floor. You bet you made quite the sight, swaying on your feet with your face painted purple and blue.

You can’t exactly stand on your own at the moment, and he seems to understand as his other hand abruptly moves to your shoulders. You tense sharply, almost prepared to kick the other--but he pauses when he apparently feels something. You wince, watching as his gloved hand moves back up in front of his face, inspecting the slick redness staining the black leather. His pretty features twist, eyebrows pinching together and black-painted lips pressing into a tight line as he then lowers his hand.

“...A…’ _ **little** accident_’, Child of Man?” The fae parrots dryly, his gaze goes back to studying you as he adjusts his grip slightly on your forearm.

Your mind blanks out on what to say, opening and closing your mouth. You were so freakin’ tired at this point. You’re also getting kind of antsy with the prolonged contact--not that you had anything against the stranger right now; he did save you from falling.

{Let’s just punch him in the face and run.} Lord Hades offers.

{Why do all of your plans always sound like they would make the situation worse.} Lord Jafar comments with a deadpan tone.

“I--” You was all you manage to say before you found yourself being lifted.

You jerk an arm up to retaliate, but that ends up putting strain on one of your wounds. You gasp sharply--but that was a mistake as well when you end up coughing harshly, jostling your injured ribs. You curl into yourself slightly, lungs rattling in your chest as you squeeze your eyes shut.

“Apologies for my sudden movements. Did I hurt you?”

“...N..No…?”

When you crack your eyes open, forcing yourself to bite back a cry of pain, you’re startled to find yourself being... _carried_. The stranger was careful to not put too much pressure on your bleeding back as his other arm went underneath your legs. You kinda wanna squirm out of his arms, but the relief from standing on your own feet made you relax more. And so you stiffly remain in his arms for now, still on the alert. You do tense up slightly when a thought occurs to you.

“W-Wait, your unif--” You weakly protest, abruptly remembering the blood soaking your back--

“Is that what you care about now, little human?” The fae asks, glancing down at you with an incredulous look in his eyes. He raises a raven eyebrow at you before walking up to the doors you had gone through, carefully carrying you in his arms.

Magic, that wasn’t yours, hums through the air and opens the library doors with a gust of wind. The draconic fae carefully slips through, the doors squeaking shut behind him as he looks down...the slightly charred hallway. You wonder where Grim was now since the mirage must have dispelled by now. You hope he didn’t burn too many things; this was a school after all.

“...Were you involved in a fight?” He inquires, curious and slightly baffled as he then makes his way down the hall, footsteps a little hurried; he was careful not to jostle you too much. “On the entrance ceremony day, no less.”

“‘Entrance ceremony’?” You ask softly, trying to study your surroundings properly now that you weren’t running away from a flaming furball.

“Did you forget that it was today?” He says. When you look up at him, he seems a bit amused.

“I didn’t quite get an invitation…” You reply tiredly, voice dying out a little when the stranger’s face turns in a calm, blank mask. Did you say something wrong? He looks slightly irritated now.

“ ** _Oh_**? Is that so?” Turning his gaze away from you to look in front of himself. The air around you both seemed cold and tense now, and it looks like the stranger has closed himself off to you. An uncomfortable silence settles on you both as he turns into a different hallway, footsteps echoing throughout it. Inhaling slowly and exhaling shakily, you decide to break the tense silence.

“...I never intended to end up in this place.” You then explain tentatively, wondering what had made the stranger become so cold to you abruptly. “I don’t want to say that I’ve been kidnapped since I’m not restrained or talking to any kidnappers now. I think there was a mistake...with a spell that I was using to teleport myself somewhere…”

“‘Mistake’?” The stranger has turned his gaze back down to look at you, and whatever cold front that he had put on seemed to melt away at your explanation. His expression then turns thoughtful as he studies you for a long moment. “...You do not know where you are.”

He states his words rather than using them in a question. You smile wearily at him in response, eyes squeezing shut when your ribs throb harshly again. He hums softly at this new information before speaking again.

“You are at Night Raven College.” He then tells you as you breathe through the pain and open your eyes again. You watch as he slows to a stop in front of a door. With a tingle of magic in the air, the door opens in front of him without having himself needing to touch it. “A prestigious, all-boys academy, where many are sent to if they have the potential of being a great mage.”

Have you ever heard of a school like that? Your eyebrows pinch together as you try to think about the multiple schools throughout the Kingdom of Fantasia, but then you blink when the scent of chemicals reaches you. You scrunch your nose and look around the room, mildly surprised to see that it was an infirmary. Huh, now that you think about it, you hadn’t even asked where the stranger was taking you. Did you trust him that much? Maybe it’s because he reminds you so much of Mistress Maleficent.

“Thank you for bringing me here...” You then say with a tentative gratitude as he then sets you down on a nearby cot. You’re already starting to miss the warm contact; after being on a snowy mountain for a few weeks, you’re latching onto any heat like a leech. But you sit there...and then you blink with realization as you watch him go over to a cabinet, rummaging through the contents. “Sorry, but what’s your name? If you mentioned it earlier, then I’m sorry, because I’m kinda out of it at the moment…”

The stranger freezes, and you can't really see his expression since his back is turned to you at the moment. Damn, have you said something wrong again? But he turns around eventually, slowly, with a small kit and a few bottles balanced on top. When you see his face, you can see the wide-eyed shock, intense curiosity, and doubt mixed together as he looks at you.

“You...you are not aware of who I am?” He asks carefully.

“... _No_?” You reply cautiously, wondering if you might have to resort to Lord Hades’ plan after all. “I’m not really...from around here…”

The fae scans your face closely, and whatever he had found made the corners of his lips quirk up, green eyes, a gaze that reminds you of Mistress Maleficent’s fire, glowing with what looked like great interest and more amusement. A chuckle escapes his lips as you continue to watch him make his way back over to you warily.

“... _Well_ , this has turned out to be _quite_ the interesting night.” He hums mostly to himself as he sets the medical kit down next to you.

“I guess so.” You agree with a weak chuckle as you watch him pull a stool over. “So...what’s your name?”

“My name is--...” You’re concerned with the way he cuts himself off, words dying out on his tongue. He stares down at the box of bandage-patches he had pulled out of the med-kit, looking thoughtful...before he turns to look at you, smirking with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “... _Actually_ , I don’t think I will tell you just yet.”

“How mysterious.” You reply blandly, which made another chuckle escape the stranger’s lips. You huff, watching as he offers you one of the bottles he had balanced on the med-kit earlier. You see that there were tiny, white pills inside, a label on the glass stating that they were pain meds. Oh, that would be very helpful. “Then I’m gonna have to end up calling you ‘Mr. Horns’ in the end. ‘Stranger’ just sounds a little rude in my head.”

“‘Mr. Horns’?” This time, a laugh escapes Mr. Horns’ lips, amusement merely growing at the nickname rather than being offended or annoyed. A glass of water floats towards you two across the room from a sink you hadn’t noticed earlier, a swirl of magic surrounding the cup to keep it in the air. “What a creative nickname...” As you take the glass of water from the air, you can sense his contemplative gaze still on you. “...I suppose I won’t get your name?”

You weigh the pros and cons at that. Names are powerful in the world of magic, but it seemed that Mr. Horns merely wanted to keep his identity a mystery simply for his own amusement. Would you be in danger if you gave him your name? You shake out two pills, the transcribed dose on the little bottle, and swallow it down with a sip of water before setting the glass down on the small table next to the cot. You decide you want to continue this little game, a small, rare, sly smile making its way onto your face.

“It’s only _fair_.” You reply airily, trying not to smile so wide. You untie the purple sash around your stomach and start to shrug your way out of your robes, the top part pooling around your waist, leaving you in the black, gold-lined long-sleeve. “If you won’t give me your name, then I shouldn’t give you mine, _right_?”

“It is indeed fair, Child of Man.” He replies with mock-solemnity, a smile still present on his lips. He seems much more relaxed compared to the moment you met him, and your smirk dies down to a tentative smile as he sets the box of bandage-patches down on the cot.

You then blearily glance down at yourself to prod at your ribs through the black long-sleeve, frowning faintly--and then you feel a hand brush over your shoulder blade. You jerk a hand out and slap a gloved hand away, chest feeling tight as you tense up--fight or flight instincts suddenly back since you hadn’t been keeping your eyes on the other living being in the room. But then...you realized that it was only Mr. Horns, his surprised, green eyes gazing back at you.

You immediately want to apologize, but your throat feels clogged and dry. Mr. Horns’ smile dims a little, and his gaze studies you for a moment as he carefully retracts his hand. But he must see something on your face for his smile gains some of its strength back as he continues to watch you carefully.

“...S- _Sorry_ …” You finally manage to croak.

“It’s alright.” Mr. Horns replies softly, and there is something consoling in his voice, as if he were talking to a spooked animal. “I touched you without your permission earlier as well. I should be the one apologizing.”

“No, _no_ , **_no_** \--! Y-You've been trying to help me this entire t-time!” Your words tumbling out of your mouth. There’s a panic settling in you, and you faintly hear the Seven in the back of your head. “I’m being u-ungrateful, and you don’t deserve th--!”

“ _Calm down_.” He then interrupts, voice still soft, a slight surge of magic accompanying his words. Your mouth snaps shut and you stare back at him. His eyebrows are furrowed together, seemingly deep in thought before he focuses back on you. “...You have done nothing wrong, little one.”

{He is right, Dragon-Child.} Mistress Maleficent murmurs, and you slowly untense.

“I shouldn’t have hit you…” You end up mumbling instead.

“I would be more concerned if you accepted the touch of a stranger so easily.” Mr. Horns merely replies, a small smile on his lips, trying to bring back some light-heartedness to the conversation between you. “And I am sorry for making you uncomfortable.”

“You _aren’t_ making me uncomfortable.” You respond tiredly, watching him with a weak smile on your lips. Words turning into a nervous mumble. “I’m just...I have a hard time... _relaxing_ around other people...”

“Understandable.” Mr. Horns says softly as he scans your face for a moment before his expression becomes more serious, smile fading completely. “I also understand if you want me to leave--”

“Actually,” You interrupt, looking sheepish. You gesture to your back with shaky fingers, a grimace on your face. “I’m gonna...need a little help with the injury on my back. But you don’t have to--”

“I will only help as long as you are fine with it.” Mr. Horns replies calmly, watching your face carefully. “And if you are willing, I can use a few remedial spells to speed up the healing process.”

“... _Thank you_.” You respond with some relief. When Mr. Horns’ fingertips gently brush over your shoulder this time, you don’t flinch.

~~

It was a bit awkward patching up your thigh and shoulder blade--since Lord Hades kept on making _unnecessary_ comments from time to time when those specific wounds were being healed. You’re glad that you’ve had enough practice to keep your expression calm while all you really wanted to blush as red as a tomato and sink into the ground with shame.

Also...Mr. Horns seemed to pause, from time to time, when he was tending to the wound on your back while you worked on your thigh. You wonder what your back looks like to him, since you haven’t gotten a good look at it for months; was it covered completely with old wounds from different battles, the arrow-injury now added to the mess? You wonder what he thinks about the scars, but Mr. Horns fortunately stays silent as he finishes patching up your shoulder blade before moving on to your feet.

And now, your body still aches a little when you move a certain way, but all of your injuries have been patched up and attended to properly, some covered in clean bandages and ointment, while other wounds have already been healed over with magic, leaving behind pale scars or nothing at all. Honestly, your body hasn’t felt this pain-free in forever. It kinda makes you wanna pass out with how sleepy you are now, but Mr. Horns is still here with you.

“Do you really have no footwear?” Mr. Horns asks with mild concern and amusement while you shake your head in a negatory fashion. His expression then leans more towards concern when he eyes your properly bandaged feet. “...I would recommend staying off your feet at least a day more.”

“Well, I do need to speak to someone here about my teleportation accident first.” You reply from where you still sat on the edge of the cot, the ceremonial robes back on, along with the purple sash. You rub at your eyes, fighting back a yawn as you look down at your fancy clothes again. A thought came to you as you studied the black and purple silk, raising your gaze to look at Mr. Horns, who was putting away the med-kit in the cabinet, also floating the empty glass of water over to the sink with a wave of his hand.

“Mr. Horns…” You call out, and you hear him make a noise of amusement and acknowledgement, and so you continue. “...Why aren’t _you_ at the entrance ceremony?”

“...I didn’t get invited.” He echoes your earlier words--though there seems to be a hint at more personal issues with the way he speaks. A sardonic smile is on his lips when he looks back at you over his shoulder.

“Oh.” You look down at your hands, fiddling with the bandages covering your right palm. You can tell that this was a sore subject for him, so you decide not to pry any further. However...when he finally walks back towards you, you lift your gaze back up to look at him. “...Would you like to go to the ceremony together?”

{Ha, it sounds like you are asking him out on a date, little guppy.} Mistress Ursula purrs amusedly, and you want to bury your face into a pillow and **_scream_**. Outwardly, you keep your expression calm and open, a tentative smile on your face.

He seems stunned for a moment, pausing at the foot of the cot as he stares at you. He then blinks, coming back to himself as he stares at you with a raised eyebrow. He seems to contemplate something for a long moment before he finds the words to respond.

“I’m sure the ceremony is almost done by now…”

“We would be fashionably late.” You offer, smile turning lopsided. “And, honestly, I just want to be there to talk with whoever is in charge of this school to discuss my little problem...”

“That’s right...you said that you ended up here by mistake.” Mr. Horn murmurs, and you watch as he turns his gaze away from you, lips pressed together, a gloved hand moving up to his chin. “Will you be leaving the school the moment the issue is resolved?”

It takes you a long moment until you realize that there was...disappointment in Mr. Horns’ gaze. What was he disappointed for?

{Aw, it looks like he has taken a liking to you, hedgehog.} The Queen of Hearts giggles in your head, and you blink your eyes with idle surprise. {He’s disappointed that you are apparently leaving so soon.}

“I can visit?” You blurt, unsure, but wanting to brighten up Mr. Horns’ mood; he has been one of the kind people you’ve rarely come across after all. “Or, when I get my home in order, you can come over?”

“Are you...inviting me?” Mr. Horns asks as he drops his hand from his chin, looking at you with...wonder?

“I don’t exactly have my home established just yet, but when I do, I’ll send you an address and you can come over...i-if you want to, of course.” You tack on nervously as you then lower your gaze. You’ve just met this person, but…...you wonder if it’s selfish and creepy of you to want to latch onto this kindness, clenching and unclenching your fingers into fists on your lap.

“...I would be honored, Child of Man.” Mr. Horns, and there is something in his voice that makes you raise your gaze up to look at him. His gaze is still kind, that same wonder in his green eyes as he looks back at you, a smile on his lips.

Your smile returns at his words--just as the door to the infirmary is abruptly slammed open.

“ _There_ you are!” A new voice enters the room, shoes clicking against the stone floor. “My goodness, running to who-knows-where while letting your familiar go on a rampage around the school! I can’t believe the nerve of you!”

{Okay, I’ve only known this guy for ten seconds and I wanna fry him immediately.} Lord Hades growls, but you are too busy studying the newcomer, body tense and prepared to move as a flicker of magic buzzing at your fingertips.

This person is shorter than Mr. Horns, but he-- _judging by the tone of his voice_ \--looks and sounds older. His features were slightly obscured by a crow-- _or raven_ \--mask that covered the upper half of his face, but you still see narrowed, golden eyes gazing at you sternly. His face was framed by short, wavy, raven locks, and he had pointed ears like Mr. Horns. A top hat with a cobalt ribbon rested on his head.

And his clothes were...much more extravagant. The man was wearing a three-piece suit as well, but the color theme was cobalt, black, and hints of gold and purple. However, his suit top was an overcoat instead, and it was simply draped over his shoulders, plumes of raven feathers decorating it. Keys and mirrors hung at his right hip, and they jingle softly as he makes his way towards your cot, his gloved fingers glinting with golden talons as he dragged...a certain cat-monster behind him.

Grim was tangled in some sort of black rope, and it was apparent that the material could neutralize the cat-monster’s fire magic; you watch as the feline pauses in where he’s gnawing at the rope to look at you with wide eyes, muffled shouts reaching your ears. He seems angry, wiggling around as much as he can as he glares at you. Your gaze then goes back to the newcomer since he seems to be the bigger threat in your opinion.

“What are you even doing here?” The man continues to berate you sternly. “The entrance ceremony has already started and will probably end soo--......”

You blink, wondering why this man has suddenly gone silent, but you note that he is no longer looking at you, wide, golden eyes staring at Mr. Horns. You’re surprised the man only noticed the draconic fae just now instead of the moment he entered the room.

“ _Wh_ \--...M-Mr. Dra--” The masked man starts to say, spluttering, but Mr. Horns cut him off.

“This new student was caught in a little accident, and so they ended up seeking medical attention but got lost in the end, Headmaster Crowley.” Mr. Horns explains as he moves to stand closer to where you’re still sitting on the cot. Huh, so this newcomer was the Headmaster? Mr. Horns continues to speak. “I took the liberty to help patch them up...and I would like to assist in escorting them to the ceremony. Their feet are injured.”

A silence falls over you all, though Grim is still making muffled sounds of anger. But you pay more attention to the newcomer’s reaction, Headmaster Crowley’s mouth gaping open with shock as he stares at Mr. Horns; was all of this unexpected behavior for the draconic fae? The Headmaster does glance at your feet to confirm that they are in fact injured before looking back at Mr. Horns incredulously.

“I...I-I see.” The masked-man finally replies after clearing his throat, eyes blinking rapidly before they refocus on you. Ah, the stern glare is back. “Still, that does not excuse you for having such a lack of control over your familiar!”

Damn, he doesn't care about your current state too much. But you blink at his words, baffled for a moment as you brush over your bonds with the Seven. You hadn’t let any of your familiars out by accident, right? Diablo and the others were still resting at the moment from the final battle. You would’ve sensed it if you had let any of them out. But then you watch as Headmaster Crowley waves his hand in the air, bringing the tied up Grim to face level as he continues to look at you with his glowing, golden eyes.

What was he--...oh. **_Oh_**.

“Sir, that is n--” You try to explain, but the masked-man shakes his head, pointing a taloned finger at you.

“We will discuss the consequences of your actions later. For now, be grateful that I am _so_ **_kind_** to let you stay at this school still. Your familiar has left behind so much destruction!” Headmaster Crowley huffs before turning on his heel to start walking towards the door, Grim in tow. He throws his next few words over his shoulder, footsteps brisk. “Now come along, you are already late to the ceremony. Let's not be any later and keep everyone waiting!”

Mr. Horns and you watch the other go ahead for a long moment, and your lips press together in a grimace.

“Does that man always interrupt people?” You finally mutter under your breath, but Mr. Horns catches your words and a chuckle of amusement escapes him.

“Headmaster Dire Crowley is a sometimes... _difficult_ man to deal with, but I’m sure you will be alright.” Mr. Horns then looks at you with sympathy. “...And I am going to guess that the feline is not your familiar.”

“You guess correctly.” You reply dryly, feeling a new, forming headache. Dire Crowley. So that was the full name of the Headmaster, huh?

Mr. Horns merely huffs a chuckle before he moves in front of you, back facing you while he bends his knees slightly. You blink dumbly at him until he looks over his shoulder, amused. 

“Come on now. Before the Headmaster gets even more unbearing.”

“O-Oh, I can walk on my ow--”

“I already told you that it would be best to stay off of your feet as much as possible while they heal. This is the least I can do before you attend the ceremony.” Mr. Horns replies.

Hesitating slightly, you stare at the broad back before you, darting your gaze to the side to connect with the draconic fae’s green irises. With a shaky sigh, your fingers tentatively reach out and brush over his shoulders. Mr. Horns’ hands then come down to hook under the backs of your knees, lifting you up with ease onto his back. You yelp slightly at the movement, flushing slightly.

{How cute.} Mistress Ursula coos while Lord Hades makes gagging sounds in the background.

“S-Sorry to be such a bother…” You mumble as you duck your head slightly into his back.

“It’s not a problem at all.” Mr. Horns replies as he begins to move. You can’t see his face, but his next few words are a bit halting, as if he weren’t sure if he were overstepping things. “...You are quite light.”

“You flatter me.” Was your quick quip as you laugh nervously. You have missed a few meals, so you might be a little underweight. As Mr. Horns walks out of the infirmary, you peer over his shoulder to see Headmaster Crowley just a few meters ahead of you two--and then a thought occurs to you. “...Earlier, it sounded like you wouldn’t be joining us for the ceremony.”

Mr. Horns is silent for a moment, contemplative, before he finally responds.

“Although I am grateful for the kindness you have extended to me by inviting me to go with you to the entrance ceremony, I feel that my appearance would only disrupt things further.” The draconic fae sighs. You’re about to argue, but Mr. Horns continues, glancing over his shoulder to send you a small smile. “I am not disappointed or mad about any of this. In a way, I suppose it all works out for me since I wanted a quiet stroll tonight. The entrance ceremony would be a bit of a hassle for me to go through.”

“I’m sorry to disturb your night.” You then murmur, guilt curling in your gut as you squeeze your eyes shut.

“You apologize too much for things that you have not done.” Mr. Horns replies, and you hear a smile in his voice as he turns his head to look ahead. “You, Child of Man, have in fact made my night more interesting and pleasant. I hope we can repeat such nice conversations when you figure out your living situations and invite me.”

You’re surprised, mouth opening and closing uselessly for a moment. He is too kind to you.

“...Th-Thank you, for all that you’ve done for me tonight.” You then manage to mumble. “I’ll make sure to send an invitation to you as soon as possible.”

“I will be looking forward to it.” Is Mr. Horns’ soft response. The draconic fae then slows to a halt. “We are here.”

You blink and peek over Mr. Horns’ shoulder to see the doors to the room you had started in; apparently they were fixed while you were gone. Not a single splitter of wood remained on the ground, everything cleaned up and fixed. You wince, slightly guilty for leaving so much destruction behind you. Mr. Horns then sets you down carefully on your feet, and you feel the cool ground through the bandages; it felt somewhat soothing in a way, like an ice-pack.

“While I know that it was never your intention to go to this school, perhaps going through the ceremony will calm the Headmaster down a bit and he will listen to you properly once it is all over. He will only listen to himself most of the time until his own...more pressing needs and goals are first completed.” Mr. Horns says to you as he draws your hood up and over your head for you; damn, the Headmaster sounds like a pain in the ass to deal with. Mr. Horns then smiles down at you, a glint in his green gaze. “...Though...to be quite honest with you, I’m curious of which dorm you will be sorted into.”

“‘Dorm’?” You inquire, but Mr. Horns never gets the chance to explain anything when the Headmaster calls out to you.

“Hurry now, new student! The ceremony is past its ending time.” Headmaster Crowley says as he glances down at a golden pocket watch in his hand. “And, um, will you not be joining us, Mr. Dra--”

“No.” Mr. Horns cuts in cooly, and you watch as the Headmaster merely smiles nervously in response. You idly wonder if you were about to learn part of Mr. Horns’ real name. You’re pulled out of your thoughts when Mr. Horns smiles back down at you. “...Until next time, Child of Man.”

“Until next time, Mr. Horns.” You parrot back, and you see the way your nickname for him makes the corners of his mouth tug upwards further.

You watch as Mr. Horns then makes his way down the hallway, back the way you had all come from. You didn’t get to watch him leave completely since a hand landed on your shoulder heavily. You stiffen and restrain yourself from grabbing the hand and flipping the owner of it over your shoulder, but you realize in time that it was just the Headmaster.

“Let us go inside and get you sorted.” Headmaster Crowley urges, and you could only nod your head slightly in acknowledgement.

You weren’t even planning to stay at this school since you intended to find your way back to...well, not the battlefield-- _since the war was now over_ \--but a place where you could finally relax without having to glance over your shoulder every single minute. Though you do need to send a note to the Kingdom of Fantasia about the war being over; this school seems very high class, so you wonder if you’re already at the Capital. You could ask someone if you could send a letter to the Royalty of Fantasia before going on your way to make your house with a rose garden, by an ocean, far from the remains of war, the Kingdom, and city lights.

You blink out of your thoughts when Headmaster Crowley nudges you closer to the doors, and you sigh softly as you move forward. You just have to go through with the entrance ceremony, and hopefully Headmaster Crowley will be open to listen to you since such important, school matters will be out of the way. Meeting people like Dire Crowley-- _those who end up in their own world while speaking over others_ \--really exhaust you. You take a deep breath and exhale again tiredly.

Now, it’s time to see what new chaos awaits you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's some virtual hot chocolate on the way out. Hope you have a nice day! :D


	2. Blood, Rain, and Mirrors.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorm Leaders' First Impressions of Yuu:
> 
> Riddle: You're late.  
> Leona: You stink.  
> Azul: Can I poke you?  
> Kalim: You need to eat more.  
> Vil: You need a change of clothes.  
> Idia: Danger.  
> Malleus: Can I adopt this small, human child?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To make it easier, and since I have no creativity, Reader will be referred to as Yuu. They will go by gender neutral pronouns, but you guys can call them he, she, or xhe down below in the comments if you want! ( ^ - ^ )
> 
> Also, I'm shocked by all of the love this story is getting! Thank you so much for the kudos! You guys kinda wanna make me cry, haha! Well, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as well. I'm not sure if it came out too well since so many things are happening at once... (> _ < ;)
> 
> Have some hot chocolate though. Hope you have a lovely day by the way. :DDD

At this point, being forgotten to be invited has become an expected thing, thought Malleus Draconia, as he stared at the student sitting against the library doors in front of him. They were dressed in ceremonial robes, and a flash of irritation went through him at the sight before he brushed aside that emotion quickly when something else had caught his attention.

This person’s robes were torn at the bottom, and their feet...

“...You are hurt.” Malleus pointed out after they tuck their feet away from sight.

“I, uh, had a little accident.” They say as they start to stand up. Malleus frowned slightly as he watched the student tremble with the effort to simply get on their feet. “And I was intending to take care of it. B-But I, er, got lost on my way and--”

Malleus watched as the other was about to collapse, but he quickly moved forward to grab their forearm. The fae blinked with mild surprise when he felt...how **_thin_** the limb was through the robes. The other’s hood has fallen back now, and Malleus was slightly unnerved to see splotches of purple and blue and tiny scratches covering their face, grime smeared on their cheek and forehead.

There were dark, purple half-circles underneath their wide eyes, and their hair was a mess. Malleus inhaled softly, mildly surprised to find a weak, scent-canceling spell on them. However, since the spell was weak, Malleus could detect their scent a little. They smelled of iron, smoke, and frost, a scent of something sweet barely underneath it all. Malleus tried to get a grasp of what their magic was like, but it seemed... _hidden_ , drawn in close to their person. With how battered the person’s face was, Malleus wondered if it was worse underneath the robes.

The fellow student was observing Malleus in return with wide eyes, and the fae let them. Perhaps they were shocked with meeting and being so close to him. Strangely, there didn’t seem to be any fear within the Child of Man’s gaze as they looked up at him, Malleus Draconia, the draconic fae that struck fear into others with the mere mention of his name. Maybe they were good at hiding their emotions…

Malleus glanced downwards to the shorter person’s feet once more, frowning faintly at the banda--... _oh_ , those weren’t bandages. Looking closely, the ‘bandages’ were apparently the ripped-off ends of the other student’s ceremonial robes. The more Malleus observed the little one’s current state, the more the fae felt concern for them.

And so he reached out, prepared to lift them up so they wouldn’t aggravate the wounds on their feet further--but then Malleus paused when his gloved fingers slipped over something slick. When he brought his hand back to himself, Malleus’ frown darkened slightly at the sight of **_red_** staining his fingertips. The student was far more injured than he had thought.

“...A…’ ** _little_** _accident_ ’, Child of Man?” Malleus repeated back the shorter person’s earlier words sardonically. He watched as the little one floundered for a moment, a flush of embarrassment somehow visible on gaunt cheeks past the blues and purples. Malleus sighed as he reached out for them once more, prepared to lift them up into his arms.

“I--” They try to speak, but end up yelping in surprise. Malleus widened his eyes when a small _fist_ went out to his face, but the movement was aborted. The draconic fae watched as the little one’s face crumpled into one of pain, breath stuttering in their chest as they curled up slightly in his arms, hacking softly.

“Apologies for my sudden movements. Did I hurt you?” Malleus asked, wondering if he might have to change up the way he was carrying the Child of Man.

“...N..No…?” They manage to stutter once they got their breathing under control.

Malleus watched as the little one seemed to untense reluctantly; the fae was distinctly reminded of a baby sparrow finally settling, no longer attempting to fly away with a broken wing, wary, but willing to trust the one helping them at the moment. The human cracked their eyes open again as they hissed out an exhale through their gritted teeth.

The fae wondered if the wounds were serious; he would have to make his way over to the infirmary to check. Unfortunately, the doctors or nurses there have all probably gone home tonight, since the only school staff member needed to be present for the ceremony was Headmaster Crowley. 

“W-Wait, your unif--” Malleus heard the human child protest, and he suppressed a snort at their priorities. The fae was unflinching at the sight and touch of blood on him, if _that_ was what the little one was worried about.

“Is that what you care about now, little human?” Malleus asked down at the one carried in his arms, and the Child of Man merely ducked their head down a bit from sight.

He frowned slightly. They were light-- _lighter_ than he expected for a person of their size. Malleus sighed as he then walked forward to the library doors, using his magic to open the doors for himself before stepping through. As the doors creaked shut behind himself, he blinked and slowly took in the hallway before him.

Stone walls were dirtied with soot, and the carpet covering the walkway was nearly black in some places. He caught sight of a small blue flame still eating away at part of the carpets before it was extinguished with a passing breeze. Malleus recalled the way the human in his arms had stumbled into the library, a voice snarling loudly before fading, growing distant. The fae wondered...

“...Were you involved in a fight?” Malleus inquired, as he took in the sight of the hallway before briskly walking down it. It was concerning to see that the human was so injured; he wondered if the little one had picked a fight or was the one that was attacked. “On the entrance ceremony day, no less.”

“‘Entrance ceremony’?” They ask softly as they look around the area while he walked.

“Did you forget that it was today?” Malleus decided to tease. Did the child know nothing?

“I didn’t quite get an invitation…” They reply with a tired exhale, and Malleus...Malleus felt a surge of irritation well up within himself. Did this child, knowing who the fae was, decide to mock him? Perhaps Malleus was being a bit irrational, but he was already suppressing his annoyance when he first caught sight of the robes, reminding him that he was, once again, not invited to the entrance ceremony, forgotten. And so the fae merely exhaled sharply, doing his best to control his emotions as he responded.

“ ** _Oh_**? Is that so?”

He sensed the little one seemingly curl further into themself, and a small bit of guilt goes through him, but he has nothing else to say. This person, while knowing who he was, had decided to make that jab at him. Surely they know of his...situation when it comes to invitations. He then heard them inhale...and exhale, shifting slightly in his hold; he kept his gaze ahead.

“...I never intended to end up in this place.” They finally mumble tentatively. Malleus blinked, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly as he lowered his gaze back down to the human in his arms. “I don’t want to say that I’ve been kidnapped since I’m not restrained or talking to any kidnappers now. I think there was a mistake...with a spell that I was using to teleport myself somewhere…”

Ah. Malleus felt a bit of shame now. It seems that the little one’s words were _not_ intentionally made to make a jab at the sore subject of being forgotten. The fae then blinked as he focused on what the Child of Man had said.

“‘Mistake’?” Malleus asked, confused. The little one had made a mistake with a teleportation spell, and they had somehow ended up here at the academy? Hmm...no wonder the human wasn’t exactly familiar with where things were in the main building of the school. All first years get some sort of layout pamphlet to familiarize themselves with the school grounds. “...You do not know where you are.”

They do their best version of a shrug while he holds them, smiling sheepishly--though the expression is slightly aborted since it makes the cut on their lip sting and bead with blood. Their expression also crumples further, curling more into themself while squeezing their eyes shut; the fae wonders if their ribs or stomach was injured. Malleus hummed softly, thoughtful as he then decided to inform the Child of Man about their current location.

“You are at Night Raven College.” The fae explained as he caught sight of the infirmary doors just up ahead. “A prestigious, all-boys academy, where many are sent to if they have the potential of being a great mage.”

He watched as the student in his arms grew silent at that, absorbing the information, gaze distant and thoughtful. There was a slight scrunch between their eyebrows. A small part of Malleus wondered if the Child of Man didn’t know about this school. But the Night Raven College was famous enough to be common knowledge, right?

Brushing those thoughts to the side, Malleus opened the doors with his magic again, and that alerted the little one to look in front of them again. Once Malleus stepped into the infirmary, his gaze went to the closest cot and briskly walked towards it. The fae debated whether to let the Child of Man lie on their back or not. In the end, he set them down on the edge of the cot. When he saw that the little one could sit up on their own, he stepped back and walked over to the cabinet on the side of the room. He’s pretty sure there’s a med-kit in there...

“Thank you for bringing me here...” The little one said tentatively, yet there is still a great amount of gratitude in their voice. How polite of them. A small smile appeared on Malleus’ face as his gaze landed on the med-kit. He reached out and grabbed it, placing a few bottles on top of the little box once he read the labels. He then heard the Child of Man speak up once more. “Sorry, but what’s your name? If you mentioned it earlier, then I’m sorry, because I’m kinda out of it at the moment…”

…

…

... _What_?

Malleus blinked, dumbfounded, before he finally, slowly turned around. Could the new student be messing with him? But when the draconic fae turned around fully, and made contact with the little one, all he could see was curiosity, concern, and nervousness. Malleus opened his mouth for a moment, closed it, and then finally opened it again.

“You...you are not aware of who I am?”

“... _No_?” They reply tentatively, their expression now turning to one of wariness. They grip the edge of the cot tightly, their bruised knuckles turning a shade of pale blue and purple. “I’m not really...from around here…”

Even if they were not from around here, surely they must have heard about him. Malleus wasn’t saying that everyone in the entire world should know who he was, but coming across people who didn’t know him was... ** _rare_**. This person must either be a really _excellent_ liar, or…

When Malleus scanned their face once more, the new student’s expression was mostly guarded, but there was still something about their eyes that was open, tentatively willing to learn more about him--about who he was. How rare. How amusing. A surprised chuckle managed to escape Malleus’ lips as he then started walking towards them.

“... _Well_ , this has turned out to be _quite_ the interesting night.” He murmured, mostly to himself as he stopped by the cot.

“I guess so.” The little one agreed with a nervous smile on their battered face as they watched him. Malleus hummed as he then dragged a stool over, planning to use it to elevate the human’s feet later on as he then sat on the edge of the cot with them. “So...what’s your name?”

“My name is--...” Malleus paused, blinking for a long moment. He stared down at the small box of bandage-patches he had pulled out of the med-kit. Would the human child act differently around him when they knew his name? Malleus felt a little-- ~~ _afraid_~~ \--discomforted at the thought. Perhaps he should keep this a secret for now. “... _Actually_ , I don’t think I will tell you just yet.”

“How mysterious.” They reply instantly with a bland tone, expression looking indignant as the fae handed them a bottle of pills. Malleus’ lips quirked upwards with amusement as he then floated a glass of water over to them with his magic. “Then I’m gonna have to end up calling you ‘Mr. Horns’ in the end. ‘Stranger’ just sounds a little rude in my head.”

“‘Mr. Horns’?” A real laugh managed to escape Malleus, and he idly wondered when was the last time he felt like this, so at ease--especially with a person he has met recently. The fae quickly calmed himself though as he watched the Child of Man take the glass of water from the air. “What a creative nickname...”

He silently watched them take the pain meds for a moment, frowning faintly when he caught sight of bruises-- _and a few, pale scars_ \--around their neck as well as they tilted their head back slightly, swallowing the pills with a sip of water. He then turned his darkening thoughts back to their conversation.

“...I suppose I won’t get your name?”

They take a moment to respond, and Malleus was unsure if the little one was actually mad at him for not giving his name to them, but then he watches a sly smile spread across the little human’s face, looking mischievous for once.

“It’s only _fair_.” They say breezily as they squint at him with annoyance--but Malleus could easily tell that all of the little human’s actions were made in a playful way. He smiled at them as they huff, pouting slightly as they began to untie the sash around their waist, shrugging off the top part of their robes. “If you won’t give me your name, then I shouldn’t give you mine, _right_?”

“It is indeed fair, Child of Man.” Malleus replied, trying to be solemn, but ultimately failing when a small smile appeared on his face.

After setting the box of bandage-patches down on the cot, Malleus then watched as the little one then went to inspect their torso, the human frowning faintly as they poked and prodded. Perhaps the draconic fae should check on their left shoulder blade while they were checking their ribs. Malleus made sure to keep his touch light and gentle as his hand brushed over the human’s shoulde--

…

...The fae hadn’t expected his hand to be harshly _slapped_ out of the way all of a sudden, but it had happened. However, what shocked him the most was the **_expression_** the little human was wearing, the slight sting in his hand forgotten as he stared...at the **_look_** in their eyes.

The little one’s face was mostly blank, lips pressed together tightly, but their eyes...their eyes, which had once been bright with shared amusement, joy, and growing trust was suddenly filled with shadows, _dark_ , **_guarded_**. But underneath all of that...Malleus could see the fear there, the anticipation of being _hurt_ ……hurt...by **_him_**?

Malleus slowly retracted his hand, but he kept his gaze on the human, watching as they seemingly came back to themself. Perhaps they hadn’t actually seen Malleus when he touched their shoulder. But that begs the question of who exactly the little human was seeing if it was not him--a former abuser? Something ugly twisted in Malleus’ gut at the thought.

Thinking back, the little one had always flinched at any contact he had made with them, only relaxing when they... _realized_ that he **_wouldn’t_** hurt them. Of course, earlier, he immediately found the human’s reactions odd, but he had brushed it off. Now it felt like a punch to the gut as Malleus pieced everything together.

Perhaps he was jumping to conclusions right now, but he didn’t think a person would react this badly to another person’s touch after a small brawl with someone. A normal person wouldn’t look like the little human before Malleus, ready to fight or flee, closed off from him completely.

The visible wounds on their body look like they were recently made. They said they had a teleportation spell accident, and they had somehow ended up here at the school. Malleus silently wondered if that was all just an attempt for the little human to get away from their abuser...or abusers.

And now, Malleus watched as the sharp, shadow-filled, steely glint in the little one’s eyes began to fade quickly, and that look of instant regret confirmed the fae’s thoughts of the human not really seeing him when they suddenly smacked his hand away. Something angry and hot formed in the fae’s chest the more he gazed into the little one’s heartbreaking eyes. Malleus quickly pushed his darkening thoughts out of the way to untense his shoulders and move both hands into view; he had to show that he was not dangerous to them. 

“...S- _Sorry_ …” They barely whisper, voice cracking 

“It’s alright.” Malleus murmured softly, stomping down on any anger he felt at what could have possibly happened to the little human before he met them. He then grimaced as he thought back on his own actions. “I touched you without your permission earlier as well. I should be the one apologizing.”

“No, _no_ , **_no_** \--! Y-You've been trying to help me this entire t-time!” They are quick to defend Malleus. The fae noted with alarm that their breathing was starting to become unsteady, rushed. “I’m being ungrateful, and you don’t deserve th--!”

“ _Calm down_.” Malleus said softly, though a part of him wanted to _growl_ at the Child of Man’s last few words. He let his magic settle around them both like a warm blanket, watching as the human’s shoulders slowly lowered from their tense position, erratic breathing slowing slightly. “...You have done nothing wrong, little one.”

“I shouldn’t have hit you…” They mumble, head ducking as they blink their eyes harshly.

“I would be more concerned if you accepted the touch of a stranger so easily.” Malleus replied, trying to lighten the mood a little before his lips turned downwards slightly, grim. “And I am sorry for making you uncomfortable.”

“You _aren’t_ making me uncomfortable.” They quickly reassure, looking almost desperate for the fae to not blame himself for anything. Malleus frowned slightly when he saw the other curl into themself more, gripping the edge of the cot tightly. “I’m just...I have a hard time... _relaxing_ around other people...”

 _Who was this person that made you feel this way_ , is what Malleus wanted to ask, or _what has this person done to make your eyes look like that_? A darker part of him wanted to ask **_where_** that person was right now.

“Understandable.” Malleus softly says instead, gaze searching as he tried his best to smile for the little human. He glanced at the wound on their back and grimaced slightly, expression turning solemn. “I also understand if you want me to leave--”

“Actually,” They interrupt tentatively. When Malleus locked eyes with them, he saw them flush slightly, looking sheepish as they weaky gestured at their back. “I’m gonna...need a little help with the injury on my back. But you don’t have to--”

“I will only help as long as you are fine with it.” Malleus replies easily, still watching their expression for any discomfort or fear. “And if you are willing, I can use a few remedial spells to speed up the healing process.”

“... _Thank you_.” They say with relief, a smile tentatively appearing on their face again.

The little human then watched as Malleus moved a hand out to their shoulder, and he was relieved to see them not flinching, but they didn’t exactly relax either. Still, Malleus didn’t want to be seen as a threat by the human. The fae then shook his head mentally and focused on what he had to do now, watching as the human child shifted on the edge of the cot so their back was properly facing him, giving him easier access. He thought about how to heal up the little one’s wounds without making it too uncomfortable, humming to himself for a moment before coming up with the best solution he had.

“I’m just going to tear open a part of the long-sleeve so you don’t have to strip. Do not worry, for I will stitch the cloth back together once I am done healing your injury. It will look like nothing had happened.” Malleus explained calmly, leaning forward so he could catch the little human’s gaze to make sure they understood. “Just your left shoulder blade is injured on your back, correct?”

“I-I, _uh_ , yeah...th-that’s correct…!” They squeak nervously, ears turning red for a moment before they willed down their blush. The little human then fidgeted with their right leg, and Malleus glanced down, frowning when he noticed that there was some red staining the pant leg. He felt slightly ashamed for not taking note of it until now. “I’m, uh...just gonna...w-work on my...l-leg…then...”

“Let me know if I hurt you.” Malleus stated sternly as he began to focus, making sure his magic would do nothing more than make a small tear on the back of black long-sleeve.

“I know you won’t.” They abruptly uttered, not a hint of hesitance in their voice, which completely blindsided Malleus, and he ceased his magic. His wide eyes met the human’s when they glanced over their shoulder at him, smiling hesitantly at him. “...Your eyes are……filled with kindness.”

...There was so much honesty and blatant trust in the human child’s words, and it made Malleus incredibly confused on how he had earned it at this point. The Child of Man sent one more smile at him before they went back to busying themself with their right leg. _Are you not shown kindness often_ , Malleus wanted to ask, but he focused back onto carefully ripping open the back of the little one’s ceremonial uniform. He grimaced when he saw that some dried blood was ‘gluing’ the silk and skin together, slightly tugging on the human child’s wound, but they didn’t flinch at all……and the fae was not prepared for the sight before him.

The wound on their left shoulder blade was certainly painful to look at, blood dripping down their back sluggishly. The skin around it looked a bit red and swollen, but not infected. The wound could be healed easily with his magic, though the area would be tender later……but Malleus was more focused on the rest of the human’s back--at least, what he could see at the moment.

Pale lines criss-crossed over each other, and Malleus was sick to see how **_deep_** some of the scars went into the little one’s back. Old and newer scars seemed to be layered on top of each other. Not only did the scars overlap each other, they came in different shapes and sizes--some looking like bursting stars, splatter marks, or jagged lines.

 ** _R a g e_** burned brightly in Malleus’ chest as he numbly reached out to start healing the wound on the Child of Man’s left shoulder blade, feeling slightly distant to his actions as his eyes kept going over the small, visible patch of scarred skin in front of him. Did the rest of their back look like this? Like an entire **_layer_** of skin had been shredded off of their back? What about the rest of their body? It made Malleus disgusted at the thought, but the **_a n g e r_** overpowered everything.

What eventually snapped him out of his rage was the sight of black scales starting to appear on the visible skin between his glove and sleeve. He needed to get himself back under control. Malleus let out a barely audible exhale, gaining a tight reign over his emotions so he wouldn’t end up doing something mindless and foolish. His gaze then went back to focusing on the human child’s wound on their left shoulder blade.

It looks like something had stabbed into their back, too narrow to be a knife. Malleus furrowed his eyebrows as he watched the wound slowly get stitched up by his magic, skin healing and leaving behind another pale scar, and it made a thought come to the fae. Did the human child get phantom pains from time to time? Surely the scars must hurt once in a while...

...But perhaps now wasn’t the best time to discuss the scars. The little one was already uncomfortable no matter how much they stated that they weren’t. He was certainly pushing it at the moment, so Malleus murmured a temporary spell softly under his breath, something that would somewhat mute the pain they were going through now. He hoped that the human child would go and visit a professional healer after their little teleportation issue was fixed.

~~

The little one had invited Malleus to come to the entrance ceremony with them. It had shocked the fae, certainly, but it also made him amused, thinking of the reactions he would receive. Dramatic gasps would fill the air, there would be a stunned silence, and perhaps a few murmurs would be shared between students. Malleus then grimaced at the thought, not really wanting all of that attention on him tonight. The invitation from the Child of Man was sweet and kind, but it wouldn’t be something he would accept in the end to avoid all of that drama.

And then...the human child had invited him to come visit their home--once they got it planned out, that is. The little one stating that they didn’t have an established place to live seemed to just confirm Malleus’ theory about the Child of Man having run away recently from... _something_ , using their teleportation spell that accidentally dumped them at Night Raven College.

Back to the main point, Malleus was shocked by how the little one extended an invitation out to him again, a nervous but hopeful look in their eyes as they looked at him. A part of him was concerned that the Child of Man was being so... _open_ with him, simply because he was being kind to them. On the other hand, there was a tentative flutter of happiness in his chest as he accepted the invitation. The Child of Man’s smile had become brighter in response--before their entire form tensed and their eyes became alert when the door to the infirmary slammed open.

Without even looking, Malleus could already tell that Headmaster Crowley was the one who had entered the room; the man’s loud presence was hard not to notice. And, oddly, the masked-man was dragging a cat-monster behind him with his Lash of Love. But most of the draconic fae’s attention was on the Child of Man at the moment, and he barely stopped himself from grimacing at the sight of the little one so on edge, their magic starting to edge out from where it had been drawn so closely to themself.

Malleus wasn’t sure if the human child had noticed yet, but their grip on the edge of the cot was becoming a bit deadly; the fae was sure that he could hear metal creak. Headmaster Crowley remained oblivious to this-- _or he chose to ignore it_ \--as he berated the Child of Man, who seemed to be waiting for a _single_ wrong move from the masked man.

Malleus stepped in, wanting to reach out to place a comforting hand on the little one’s shoulder, but the human child was still a bit jumpy. So, for now, he simply stood closer, almost putting himself between the Headmaster and the Child of Man. Eventually, the Headmaster merely spoke over the little one-- _like usual_ \--and falsely accused the human child about letting their familiar go on a rampage over the school.

The draconic fae eyes the cat-monster for a moment, putting the pieces together that this feline had been the one to burn the hallways, covering them in soot. Narrowing his green eyes at the monster, Malleus was also certain that this feline was not responsible for any of the human child’s injuries.

A shame, really. Malleus wanted to unleash hell on the person-- _or people_ \--who had harmed his new companion. However, it was amusing to hear the little one’s thoughts on Headmaster Crowley when the masked-man had gone ahead of them all. The cat was not the little one’s familiar, but their protests had been bulldozed over.

And so, with Headmaster Crowley hurriedly urging the Child of Man to follow him to the entrance ceremony, the masked man occasionally flashing nervous glances over at Malleus, who blatantly ignored it all. Malleus was more focused on the concerningly light weight on his back, explaining that he wouldn’t go to the ceremony before listening to them apologize for things that honestly wasn’t their fault.

How many times have they already said ‘ _Sorry_ ’ for things beyond their control? Things that they _shouldn’t_ apologize for? All Malleus could do was assure that the Child of Man had made his night infinitely better instead of disturbing it. Unfortunately, he doesn’t think the human child really believes his words.

As Malleus set the little one down in front of the ceremony chambers, a part of him wanted to just whisk the human child away back to the Diasomnia dorms, bundle them up in soft blankets, and let them warm up by the fireplace. They were not in any shape to continue for the night, but Malleus could see their determination, and he admired that.

As much as he wanted to see the little one rest, Malleus didn’t want to end up being another obstacle they had to get through in order to reach their goal. All the draconic fae could do now was offer his silent support and some advice to the human child. He did, however, wonder what dorm the Child of Man would be sorted into. The brief glimpses at their magic didn’t really allow Malleus to guess which dorm they might be placed in. Their magic did seem slightly... ** _familiar_** though for some reason. Malleus wasn’t sure what that meant.

He’ll probably learn later on, hopefully, when the human child manages to get help with their issue, figure out their living situation, and eventually contact him. Even if this little one might end up forgetting him like the rest, he was happy to have had this meeting with them. However, a small part of him hopes that the Child of Man continues to be different from the others and exceed his expectations. Honestly, if the human child’s living situation does not turn out alright, Malleus wouldn’t mind having them stay over at Diasomnia. The draconic fae was sure that Lilia would adore the little one.

“...Until next time, Child of Man.” Malleus finally murmured to the little one after coldly cutting off Headmaster Crowley, when the masked man had tentatively asked if he wanted to join the ceremony. The Headmaster should know at this point that any invitations extended to Malleus now were all moot now. Hopefully, the masked man also understood by now not to mention his real name around the little one.

“Until next time, Mr. Horns.” The Child of Man replied with a lopsided smile on their face, shadowed slightly now by the hood he had pulled back on for them. A part of Malleus was comforted in scanning the now bruise-free face, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards further at the sound of his new nickname.

He knew that physical comfort was not something the little one would accept now, so he merely continued to smile before nodding his head at them with acknowledgement before making his way down the hallway, listening to Headmaster Crowley heard the little one into the entrance ceremony room.

Malleus hoped that everything would turn out alright in the end for the Child of Man.

~~

Riddle Rosehearts, Head of the Heartslabyul dorms, had to resist the urge to tap his foot impatiently on the ground, glancing down at the silver pocket watch in his hand before he stuffed it back into his pocket. He gazed down at the sorted crowd of new students, and bit back a grimace.

Where had Headmaster Crowley gone to, and what was making him so late? Riddle still had to explain the ground rules to the first-years of Heartslabyul before making sure everyone went to bed on time for the first day of school tomorrow.

Riddle’s gaze darted to the doors of the room for a moment before his eyes went back to scanning the first-years of his dorm, trying to pick out those who seemed...troublesome. His eyes zeroed in on a ginger who seemed to be boredly rocking on his feet, muttering something to a student beside him before laughing. Riddle grimaced.

He had a distinct feeling that the ginger-haired first-year student would be a rule-breaker in the near future. It made Riddle want to scowl and wish that the ginger...Ace Trappola-- _yes, that was his name_ \--had been sorted to a different dorm.

~~_Mother wouldn’t want any rule-breakers in his dorm._ ~~

“You seem to be awfully distracted right now, Mr. Kingscholar.” Riddle then heard Azul Ashengrotto, Head of the Octavinelle dorms, hum beside him. The Heartslabyul dorm leader snapped out of his thoughts and slid his gaze over to his left, seeing Leona Kingscholar, Head of the Savanaclaw dorms, scowling darkly at a random point in the room. Azul, standing on the left of the beastman, was merely smiling as he observed Leona. “Are you alright?”

“ _Shut it_ , you octo-bastard.” Leona muttered sharply in return, nose scrunched up slightly as he moved a hand up to his face, forest-green gaze narrowed sharply. He grimaced, showing off his fangs slightly as he spoke once more. “It just smells fucking unpleasant in here. I can’t believe you’re using your shitty gentlemanly smile when you can obviously smell it too.”

Azul’s smile became a bit thin, but his expression remained somewhat the same as he pushed his glasses back up when they began to slip down the bridge of his nose.

“While the smell is rather displeasing, I managed to get used to it.” Azul replied with ease. He then muttered lowly to himself. “Though I wonder why it smells like _blood_ …”

“Of course **_you_** would say that.” Leona sneered, responding to Azul’s more audible response as he dropped his hand from his face. There was still a slight furrow between the beastman’s brows, his lion ears flicking around irritably on the top of his head underneath his hood. “I bet one of your lackies makes this smell fill your dorm _constantly_ with how much he likes to ‘squeeze’ everyone.”

“What? Does something stink in here?” Kalim Al-Asim, Head of the Scarabia dorms, inquired beside them, looking concerned as he smiled. “Should I ask Jamil to light some scented candles?”

“Do that and I'll vomit all over your robes.” The Savanaclaw dorm leader threatened as he growled lowly, looking past Azul at the other dorm leader. The Head of Scarabia merely laughed brightly in return, holding his hands up in surrender as he rocked on his heels.

“ _Disgusting_ …” Vil Schoenheit, Head of the Pomefiore dorms, muttered, slightly shifting further away from Leona despite having Kalim between them.

“ _Why can’t we all just leave already?_ ” Idia Shroud, Head of the Ignihyde dorms, spoke up from his floating tablet on the left of Vil, sounding incredibly bored. “ _What if the Headmaster doesn’t come back at all?_ ”

“Then we should guide the first-years to their dorms.” Riddle decided to speak up, joining the conversation. “I am giving Headmaster Crowley five more minutes to arrive.”

“ _Huh...maybe he got a stomach ache._ ” Idia commented thoughtfully--just as the doors were shoved open.

“Not at all!” Headmaster Crowley huffed, hands on his hips as the doors thumped against the stone walls. He eyed the dorm leaders with indignation in his glowing, golden gaze. “I can’t **_believe_** all of you! We were missing a student, and _none_ of you had noticed--so I took it upon myself to look for them.” His booming voice then went a bit softer when he addressed whoever was slightly to the side and behind him, hidden from view. “Now, come along. You are the last to be assigned to a dormitory. I shall keep watch of your raccoon familiar, so go on up to the Dark Mirror. Don’t be shy.” 

Almost everyone had turned their heads to look at the doorway at this point, and there were varying reactions-- _after glancing at the weird ‘raccoon familiar’_ \--to the missing student that was revealed. While most of their face wasn’t quite visible to the hood, a lot of their appearance seemed completely normal--at least until many of their gazes went lower to their bandaged feet and the shredded ends of their robes.

Leona’s scowl darkened as his forest-green gaze watched the remaining student closely, blinking when brief eye-contact was made with the short first-year. There was something assessing in the kid’s gaze before they seemingly went to the other dorm leaders...the windows...and slightly over their shoulder to the doorway. Curiously, the first-year, who had yet to be sorted into their dorm, didn’t even glance around long at the other students, almost... _dismissing_ the rest as they walked past.

Though Leona’s curiosity was pushed to the side for now, growing more irritated by how the kid’s presence brought in a fresh scent-wave of blood with them, though it was at least muted by...a chemical and herbal smell…medicine and ointment? So the kid was hurt. Leona idly wondered if they were some sort of bigshot, having recently run into a assassination attempt or something. It wouldn’t be a first for the school with how many famous students were going to Night Raven Colle--......why the _hell_ did he smell that **_lizard-bastard_** on the kid?

Taking another whiff of the air, he grimaced when he confirmed that it was that piece of shit Draconia he could smell on the first-year. Glancing around the room and back to the doors, he wasn’t surprised that Draconica hadn’t shown up despite having apparently run into a newbie on their way to the ceremony. The Headmaster hadn’t mentioned anything about the lizard-bastard, but of _course_ , that would stir something among the wimpy first-years. Leona sneered darkly--but he shook off his thoughts to further observe the kid as they made their way towards the Dark Mirror.

Hmm, so this was the source of the smell displeasing Mr. Kingscholar’s senses, Azul thought as he inclined his head slightly. He was astonished by the way the first-year kept their magic so close to their person compared to the other new students in the room. With the other first-years, Azul had any easy time picking out who would go to which dorm--this one right here, however...was an **_enigma_**. It was hard to feel what their magic was like-- _it felt like catching smoke_ \--and their face was a carefully blank mask, a hint of wariness slipping through from time to time.

Also...there were the faint remains of a _certain_ draconic fae’s magic on the new student. It simply increased Azul’s curiosity and interest. Perhaps the Octavinelle dorm leader will add this one to the list of first-years to keep an eye on; he’ll make a note to tell Jade and Floyd about it. 

Vil, holding back the urge to frown darkly to avoid messing up his makeup, was enraged to see that the ceremonial robes the student was wearing were torn at the bottom! What has this potato done to the robes? And what was with their feet? They were bare and...bandaged. Why were they bandaged? Did they get in a fight? _Nevertheless_ , this potato was dressed so slovenly for the entrance ceremony.

Though... _something_ about the way the first-year walked reminded Vil of... ** _Rook_** , when the other Pomefiore student was……on a _hunt_. Their gait was at least graceful that way, and the way they held themself upright made a part of Vil a little pleased. A change of clothes into clean, undamaged ceremonial robes along with a pair of elegant shoes would certainly make them look more presentable. They had a small amount of potential, Vil thought, but he wasn’t sure what their personality was like.

Kalim wasn’t sure what to make of the new student. The Scarabia dorm leader was merely happy to see that the supposedly missing student had found their way back to the ceremony with the help of the Headmaster, but he was concerned by their current state; they looked like they needed a good feast in their stomach, and their feet must hurt if they were bandaged and bare like that.

Idia studied the new kid through his floating tablet, huffing as he propped his head up slightly with his fist, sitting cross-legged on his bed as everything was projected in front of him. When he did a simple scan of the first-year, he raised his eyebrows slightly at the readings he got back, playing with the middle zipper of his hoodie.

For some reason, he couldn’t get a read of their magic levels, type, or status. He could, however, take note of their various, current injuries. Maybe the new kid liked to fight a lot. The injuries that have been recently healed weren't exactly pretty, so Idia grimaced and turned his attention away from that, blue eyebrows furrowed slightly as his flaming, azure hair cast a slight glow over his dark room, shadows dancing along the walls. Anyways, since he couldn’t exactly get that much information from a normal scan like usual, Idia decided it would be best to keep his distance from this first-year in particular.

Riddle was displeased that it had taken the Headmaster and this last student so long to arrive at the ceremony, but taking in the sight of the remaining first-year, some of that anger had died down. The first-year was obviously injured, and it made Riddle wonder if they were attacked, got into a fight, or _started_ a fight. Either way, to be involved at all with a fight will not be tolerated.

While this first-year did not look like they were the type to purposely cause trouble, Riddle wasn’t sure if he wanted to get involved at all with the new student. Plus, apparently this first-year was the one who had no control over the raccoon-familiar, which Riddle had heard that it ruined multiple hallways and caused a great amount of damage before anyone had arrived for the ceremony.

Now that he looked closed at the familiar tied up in Headmaster Crowley’s Lash of Love, he noted that it was actually a **_cat_**. Riddle scowled faintly. That broke Laws of Queen of Hearts Number 23: _One shall never bring a cat into a festival_. If this person did somehow end up in Heartslabyul, Riddle will have to give them multiple lectures and tell them to not bring their familiar out during the regular tea and Unbirthday parties...

A hush seemed to fall upon the room once the last student to be sorted stepped up onto the slightly elevated platform, standing before the Dark Mirror with their arms held loosely at their sides. The mirror was blank for a long moment...and then green flames sprung forward and covered the glass before dispersing, revealing the solemn, floating, mask-like face of the Slave within. The new student seems to pause, possibly surprised by something, but what? It was hard to see their expression from here.

“ **State thy name.** ” The Mirror of Darkness said, and the first-year seems to snap out of their little daze before softly responding. The Slave of the Dark Mirror hummed softly, studying the new student for a moment before speaking once more. “ **The shape of thy soul is......made of _many..._ yet they are _one_. Thou shall be sorted into...**”

A few blinked in idle surprise when the Mirror of Darkness went silent for a while. The mask-like face seemed to stare longer at the remaining first-year to be sorted, contemplative. After a slight pause, the Dark Mirror spoke once more.

“ **Heartslabyul…** ” A part of Riddle was conflicted at having another, possibly troublesome student in his dorm-- _but then the Dark Mirror continued to speak_. “ **...Savanaclaw, Octavinelle, Scarabia, Pomefiore, Ignihyde, and Diasomnia--** ” Why was the Mirror listing all of the dorms? “ **\--Thou art suited for _all_...yet _none_ of the dormitories. Thou shall be sorted into…no dormitory.**”

…

…

...What?

Murmurs immediately spread throughout the room, and Azul watched, fascinated, as the student, who **_still_** had yet to be sorted into a dorm, turned around slowly to look over at Headmaster Crowley, who was briskly making his way across the room. The new student’s face was still a calm mask, but Azul could see the way they often looked at certain points in the room--the dorm leaders, the windows, the Headmaster, and the door. When the first-year’s gaze connected with Azul’s, he couldn’t help but smile a little wider, amusedly watching as the new student quickly darted their calculating eyes away, watching Headmaster Crowley again.

“Come again?” Headmaster Crowley spoke nervously as he came to a stop beside the new student, the cat still wiggling around behind the masked man in the Lash of Love. “Are you saying that they do not belong in any dorm?”

“ **Thou art suited for all...yet none of the dormitories.** ” The Dark Mirror merely repeated, blinking--and Headmaster Crowley noted how the mask-like face had yet to turn his hollow gaze from the new student.

“I--...th-this has _never_ happened in all of the years Night Raven College has existed…!” The Headmaster murmured to himself, shocked. Riddle noted with alarm on how the masked man’s concentration slackened, his Lash of Love loosening its grip slightly on a certain cat. “Perhaps we sho--”

“-- _m’gah_! Then I’ll take the stupid human’s place!” The feline cried out as it quickly wiggled out of its restraints, making sure to move out of range of Headmaster Crowley before it could get caught again. The cat grinned sharply as it floated near the center of the room, looking triumphant as it looked down at them all. “Unlike the wimpy human, I, the Great Grim, can use powerful magic! If ya’ need the proof, I can show you…” The feline’s gaze seemed to brighten, and smoke wisped out of its mouth. “... _Right now_!”

“Everyone, get down!” Riddle called out sharply to the students filling the room.

There were shouts of alarm and a few yelps as many of them scrambled, or fell, out of the way of a wave of fire from the cat’s mouth. A few were unluckily caught by the display of fire magic-- _like a certain Scarabia dorm leader_.

“ _Waaaah_! My butt’s on fire!” Kalim cried out. The white-haired dorm leader panicked, not sure what to do as he ran to dodge another wave of blue flames. “Hot, _hot_ , **_hot_** …! Someone help me put it out? Please?”

Everyone didn’t really listen to him, first-years screaming and running around to dodge the cat’s fire magic spreading throughout the area. The other dorm leaders seemed to be calmly playing hot-potato with who should deal with the current situation while the Headmaster was calling out for order.

Kalim grunted when he ran into a shorter student, stumbling backwards slightly as he shut his eyes. He would’ve fell, but a small hand grasped one of his and yanked him forward--before suddenly spinning him around. Kalim snapped his gaze open and blinked his eyes rapidly when a cooling sensation occurred at his back before he could feel any flames lick at his skin.

Blinking again, Kalim glanced over his shoulder and was surprised to see the student who had been recently sorted into...well, no dorm at all. Frost covered their fingertips, and they smiled lopsidedly at Kalim, who immediately put two and two together and spun around to face the shorter student, beaming as small tears of relief welled at the corners of his eyes. They had put out the fire on his butt! Thank goodness!

“Oh, thank you, _thank you_ , **_thank you_**!” Kalim chanted, moving forward to hug them, but the first-year widened their eyes and took a stuttering step backwards, making the Scarabia dorm leader pause with mild confusion, but he continued to still smile at them.

“U-Um, you’re welcome...er, s- _sir_...and if you have the right kind of magic,” They stutter and shift nervously further away, eyeing him warily beneath their hood. Another blue fireball struck the stone ground behind them. “...C-Can you help me put out the fire?”

... _Oh_. Kalim smacked his forehead, startling the shorter student in front of him, who seemed both concerned and slightly more suspicious of him. They looked like they were about to go help the rest of the people who were unfortunately on fire, but the first-year’s attention was drawn back to him by his sudden actions and next few words.

“I’m **_so_** stupid!” Kalim cried out. “I should’ve done this the moment my butt was on fire. Here, hold on for a sec...” Magic hummed in the air as Kalim shut his eyes for a brief moment. When his gaze snapped open, his crimson irises glowed slightly as a blue aura settled over the area. Kalim grinned widely as the student was watching him with curious eyes. “... _Oasis Maker_!”

It suddenly began to rain within the room, water droplets falling from the ceiling rapidly. Fires around the area quickly started to go out. Idia made a noise of alarm and quickly moved his tablet out of the rain; Vil quickly did the same, barely biting back a curse when he nearly got soaked by Kalim’s Unique Magic. Leona and Riddle looked mildly annoyed while Azul was watching everything with interest.

The cat, who had set everything on fire, yelped when its flaming ears-- _and pretty much its whole body at this point_ \--began to get soaked. The feline immediately flew around for cover, and Kalim watched with wide eyes as the student who had saved him abruptly went after the cat, not slipping once on the wet, stone ground.

The cat seemed to sense the dorm-less student coming after it, so it turned its head before it hissed at them, trying to send multiple balls of fire at the first-year. The fireballs were smaller, weaker due to Kalim’s Unique Magic, but they were still dangerous enough to burn. The dorm leaders, who have completely pulled away from their conversations, and a few others not panicking, watched as the dorm-less student swiftly dodged everything--before stopping in front of a student with lilac hair, who was about their height.

Epel Felmier was having a mildly bad day-- _or rather, night_ \--at the moment. He had wanted so badly to be sorted into the Savanaclaw dorm, but the Dark Mirror had him placed in **_Pomefiore_**! Actually, he would have wanted to be in any dormitory-- _ **except** Pomefiore_! But **_no_**. He curses his looks for the millionth time as he swiftly moved around the room, avoiding fires that had yet to be put out by the water spell raining down on them all. He abruptly skidded to a stop when the dorm-less student appeared in front of him, eyes wide and urgent.

“Can you throw me up there?” They ask, slightly breathless as they wave a hand through the air to deflect a fireball heading towards them both to the side; the blue fire strikes the stone ground before quickly fizzling out due to the indoor rain. “ _Please_?”

Epel froze with surprise, completely... _lost_. He wanted to glance over his shoulder to see if there was someone, that was standing behind him, who was the actual person being spoken to. But the dorm-less student’s eyes were definitely looking directly into his.

This person was the first to ever ask him such a question. Usually, a person would take one look at him and dismiss him as being too delicate, being too fragile, or-- _the worst of them all_ \--being a girl. But this dorm-less freshman was asking him to throw them up at the cat. After all of these years of wanting someone to see past his features, he was now completely thrown off with what this person before him could possibly be thinking at the moment.

“Wh- _What_?” Epel stuttered, blinking away the water running down into his eyes. He watched the dorm-less first-year move backwards slightly, looking prepared to run at him now that there was distance between the both of them.

“Can you throw me up there, please?”

While a part of him is jumping for joy at finally being seen for who he really was, he wants to ask why this person thinks he has the strength to propel them up there. But the question would have to wait this time since the fellow student was still waiting on Epel to give his answer.

“ _Alright_ …!” Epel smirks grimly, quickly cupping his hands in front of himself as he bent his knees slightly. The fellow freshman smiles with gratitude before they run towards him.

Epel was prepared to use enough strength to lift his own weight since the person was around his height, but he was briefly shocked with how light they felt when their bandaged, bare foot pushed off of his cupped hands when he threw them upwards. Epel didn’t really have time to think about it much since he jerked his head up to watch the dorm-less student heading towards the cat in the air.

The feline yelped when the scruff of its neck was grabbed and the student tugged the cat down from the air with them. Epel grinned, feeling triumphant to see the fellow first-year catch the familiar--but then his expression dropped to one of worry when he realized that the dorm-less student was pretty high up and, apparently, had no exact plan to land _safely_.

Epel was about to move forward to catch the other, but then a different student, taller than the Pomefiore freshman, abruptly shot forward past him. What was his name again? _John_? Jake--no, it was **_Jack_**. Jack Howl.

Jack growled, hood falling onto his shoulders, as he skidded to a stop underneath the falling, fellow first-year, arms stretched out in front of himself, palms facing upwards as drops of water fell onto him. After shoving a few Savanaclaw dormmates to safety on the side, out of the corner of his eye, he had caught sight of two first-years doing something reckless, one freshman throwing the other up into the air--but it was apparent that the student in the air hadn’t planned on how they would land. And so the wolf-beastman had quickly rushed forward and caught the surprisingly light freshman as they came down from the air with their familiar in hand.

“That was _careless_ of you…!” Jack snarled down at the fellow freshman in his arms.

“Th-Thank you for catching m--...” They merely replied with a lopsided smile, but they cut themself off when they looked up at Jack. The wolf-beastman didn’t notice the human’s change in mood, so he only scoffed in response, shaking his head with disapproval.

The dorm-less student, with the familiar still in hand, was carefully placed onto the ground, and that snapped them out of their slight daze. The dorm-less student’s hair, since their hood had fallen off when they leapt up into the air, was matted down by the rain as they focused on wrapping their arms around the cat when it began to squirm and growl, shouting in outrage. Jack stepped forward to help, but the dorm-less student shook their head, a silent request for space.

“ _Graaah_! Let me go, human!” The cat snarled and hissed, claws starting to tear at the sleeves of the robes. “I’m gonna become the greatest magician, and you can’t stop me…!”

“Settle down... _Lord_ _Grim_...” The dorm-less student whispered harshly. The cat-- _Grim, apparently_ \--seemed to pause briefly in surprise at the title added to its name...before it went back to squirming around in the human’s arms, fire starting to lick at their black robes. Riddle, from where he stood, hand raised and ready to cast his Unique Magic, watched as the first-year’s expression became eerily blank. Their head then ducked down slightly from view, and their next few words came out almost like a growl. “. . . **_N o w_** .”

A tang of magic briefly went through the air, barely staying before Azul could decipher it. The Octavinelle dorm leader smiled slightly from where he stood near the windows of the room, fascination in his gaze at how much control this first-year apparently had.

They were definitely different compared to the other underclassmen; the dorm-less student’s control was possibly equal to a third or fourth-year’s. Azul was slightly disappointed when the hint of the first-year’s magic quickly vanished from the air; he did, however, get to see the Savanaclaw freshman tense up, the fur of his wolf tail standing on end.

Grim’s fur, although it was slightly matted down by Oasis Maker, stood on end slightly, and its pronged tail stopped lashing around. Wide, blue eyes stared up at the student, and whatever the feline saw made the cat go stiff in the human’s arms. The dorm-less student seemed to keep Grim’s gaze for a long moment until the human was forced to lift their head once Headmaster Crowley began to approach.

There didn’t seem to be anything scary about the first-year’s face, now that they were no longer ducking their head--but of course, they could’ve erased whatever expression they were wearing earlier, before lifting their head to face the approaching Headmaster.

Riddle lowered his hand when he was sure that the dorm-less student’s familiar wouldn’t go on a rampage now that its owner has calmed it. The Heartslabyul dorm leader certainly wanted to give the first-year a talking to for their lack of control on the feline, but he supposed Headmaster Crowley had that handled.

“Do you see how destructive your familiar is!? You need to properly discipline that raccoon!” Headmaster Crowley as he stood in front of the first-year holding Grim. “After this is all cleaned up, I want yo--”

“Headmaster Dire Crowley.” The student cut in sharply as they began to, surprisingly, gently run their fingers over the cat's head and back, their grip no longer restraining the feline in their arms. The familiar seemed shocked as well, but he didn’t flinch away as the first-year seemingly began to draw water from his soaked fur, drying it ever so slowly with their magic. When they were certain they had the Headmaster’s attention, the dorm-less student continued to speak, enunciating their words carefully as they flicked their wrist from time to time, the water that had once been in Grim’s fur being discarded to the already wet ground. “Grim. Is **_not_**. My familiar.”

A silence fell over the room, Kalim’s Unique Magic no longer raining on them all--though there were soft tapping sounds, drops of water falling from the chandelier and into the puddles down below. Riddle almost wanted to roll his eyes at the misunderstanding; it was typical of the Headmaster to rush to his own conclusions about things. Where did the cat even come from?

“I...i-it’s not yours?” Headmaster Crowley asked nervously.

“... _He_ is not mine.” They correct smoothly. “Lord Grim is a feline-monster not under my-- _or anyone’s_ \--control, Headmaster Crowley.” The first-year says, and Leona, leaning against one of the stone pillars in the room, was mildly impressed by the kid’s boldness to speak to their superior like this--though he was a little bemused at the human calling the not-familiar a ‘Lord’.

The cat-monster _did_ seem to relax more though when the human used that title for it. Honestly, it was like the dorm-less student was indulging a child’s demands. Azul, from where he was helping a few Octavinelle students get back on their feet, was amused by the thinly veiled frustration in the dorm-less student’s polite words as they continued to speak.

“You never allowed me to correct you before you made your own assumptions... ** _sir_**.”

Oh, there was **_definitely_** an amount of sass there. Maybe it was because the spell had washed away the scent of blood and the lizard-bastard, but Leona was starting to like this kid more and more. Once the cat-monster was apparently dry, the dorm-less student then moved their hand from Grim, who started purring at some point before snapping to attention, looking embarrassed at the fact that his head followed the human’s warm fingers for a moment when they left him.

“O-Oh...I see…” The Headmaster replied, clearing his throat behind a gloved fist. He blinked his golden eyes before gazing down at the cat. “Then let’s get it-- _him_...out of the scho--”

“Actually…” The student interrupts once more, and they pause for a moment, seeming to war with themself as they glanced down at the cat. Gathering themself, the dorm-less student lifted their gaze to speak calmly with the Headmaster. “...Lord Grim is an...acquaintance of mine, and he wishes to enroll into Night Raven College.”

It was obviously a lie-- _being an acquaintance of the cat-monster, that is_ \--Azul thought to himself, arching an eyebrow at the back of the dorm-less student with interest. What had the first-year to gain for saying all of this for the cat’s benefit? The feline seemed dumbfounded as well, claws completely retracted now as he let himself be carried gently.

“A... _monster_...wants to be enrolled...into our school?” The Headmaster slowly murmured with disbelief, and the dorm-less student calmly gazed back at the masked man.

“Is there a **_problem_** with that?” They ask coldly, _sharply_ , and their grip seems to tighten around the cat-monster--but not to restrain the feline, _no_. It was like the first-year was... ** _defensive_** of it, ready to protect it. Azul wondered if there was some history to the human’s reactions.

“Well, a monster going to Night Raven College has never been done before!” Headmaster Crowley explained with bewilderment. “Why, I don’t think any other school has ever had a monster enrolled into their system--”

“Then you can be the first.” The dorm-less student said, and there was a determined glint in their eyes. Headmaster Crowley could only gape while murmurs spread throughout the crowds of first-years around them. A thought then seemed to come to the human. “And Lord Grim can take my place, since I never intended to be enrolled here in the first place. Of course, Lord Grim will have to face the consequences of harming fellow students and burning things first before enrolling into this school.”

“ ** _What_**!?” Headmaster Crowled cried out, mouth dropping open with shock.

“I’m only here due to an...accident with a teleportation spell.” They continued calmly as they kept eye-contact with Headmaster Crowley. Then their blank mask seemed to crack slightly, looking sheepish and a bit lost. “I’m not exactly sure how I got here…sorry.”

“Th..Then _why_ did you go through with the ceremony?” The Headmaster inquired, still looking baffled. There was apparently so much information hitting him at once. Many of the dorm leaders--except Kalim--weren’t really surprised.

“A new...friend of mine explained to me that you wouldn’t listen to me until your own…’more pressing needs and goals are first completed’.” They said while sending a lopsided smile at the Headmaster, ire apparently dying down more and more. “He said that it would be best to go through with the ceremony before speaking to you about my problem.”

“H..He **_did_**?” Headmaster Crowley, and he seemed more stunned about something else rather than the fact he was hearing all of this right now. “Mr. Dra--ah, your... _new friend_ told you this?”

Everyone watched the dorm-less stu-- _actually_ , they were not a student. Everyone watched the lost stranger merely raise an eyebrow at Headmaster Crowley, inclining their head with a hint of curiosity in their searching gaze.

“Yes...and I would like to talk to you about my issue as soon as possible now that the ceremony should be done, right?” They ask tentatively, adjusting their grip slightly on Grim, who was just staring back and forth between the Headmaster and the human with shock. Apparently this was overwhelming for the cat-monster as well. After a long moment of shared silence, Headmaster Crowley sighed deeply as he placed his masked face into his taloned hands.

“Oh, this might take a while…” A few heard the Headmaster lament into his gloved palms. After another exasperated sigh, Headmaster Crowley jerked his head up from his hands and looked around at the other students in the room. “Dorm leaders, please escort your first-years out of the room. The ceremony is officially over now, so you may all leave.”

There were various reactions to the Headmaster’s words, some glad to put some distance from the cat-monster and himself, others slightly reluctant since the first-years were curious about the stranger. Riddle was the first to quickly gather the Heartslabyul freshmen and escort them all out of the room. Leona, after sending a side-look to the kid that piqued his interest, yawned into his hand as he led the Savanaclaw first-years out of the room, not bothering to really check if the students were following him. Jack sent a narrow-eyed look at the short mage beside the Headmaster before quickly following the other Savanaclaw students.

Kalim excitedly waved at the person who accidentally ended up at the school, and he smiled broadly when they sent a shy wave of their hand back at him. The dorm leader then excitedly began to lead the Scarabia freshmen out of the room, chattering along the way. Vil was next to follow, eyes narrowing slightly as he watched the potato standing next to the Headmaster, gaze slightly contemplative before he turned his attention completely to leading his freshmen out of the room. Epel gazed longingly at the stranger beside the Headmaster, wanting to talk to them, but he was forced to quickly follow his fellow freshmen before he was left behind.

Idia did one last basic scan over the weird kid, disgruntled with getting the same readings as before; he then used his floating tablet to guide the Ignihyde first-years out. Azul took a moment to study the lost human for a moment, smiling when the little mage made eye-contact in return before calling out to the Octavinelle students to follow him. That left the remaining cluster of students in the room, who seemed to be waiting for something. It wasn’t until one of the students, a bit on the shorter side, spoke up.

“...Ah, so they’ve forgotten to invite him once more.” Lilia Vanrouge, vice-dorm leader of Diasomnia, sighed with disappointment. The short man’s crimson eyes went to Headmaster Crowley’s for a moment, and the man had the nerve to look away, floundering slightly; Lilia then sent a curious look at the human child beside the masked Headmaster for a moment before he sighed again. Shaking his head slightly, the pink and raven hair framing his face brushing his pale cheeks. Lilia then waved a hand at the remaining cluster of first-years in the room. “Oh well...members of the Diasomnia dormitory can come with me. I hope this doesn’t upset him…”

“A..Are you talking about Mr. Horns?” The lost stranger surprisingly called out to the slightly shorter student before he left through the doors.

“‘ _Mr. **Horns**_ ’?” Lilia echoed, a bemused smile appearing on his lips as he turned on his heel to look at the human child with renewed interest. The Diasomnia students seemed confused as they listened to their apparent upperclassmen speak to the stranger.

“He helped patch me up. He didn’t give me his name, but that’s an ongoing game we have with each other.” The human child smiled tentatively at the vice-dorm leader as they raised their right hand up, which Lilia noted was also wrapped in bandages like their feet. “Could you tell him ‘Thanks again for helping me’? I-If you can and want to, that is…”

“How did you mee--“ The Diasomnia vice-dorm leader then cut himself off, glancing over at the Diasomnia first-years he still had to guide to the dorms. “...Ah, perhaps we shall continue this conversation another time.” Lilia then sent a smile at the human child standing next to Headmaster Crowley, interest and amusement bright in his crimson irises as he spoke to them once more. “While I know this is the place you did not intend to go to, I do hope you stick around a bit longer, little one. I will make sure to pass along your message to him.”

The little one seemed grateful, and they smiled before Lilia turned back around, waving at the Diasomnia first-years to follow him. Once the doors creaked shut behind them, Dire sighed before turning his attention to the lost, human child standing next to him.

“Now, let us deal with your little teleportation mishap, Mx…?” Dire trailed off, realizing belatedly that he did not know the child’s name. When the Dark Mirror had asked for it, they had spoken too softly for anyone to really hear.

“...You can call me ‘Yuu’, Headmaster Crowley.” They-- _Mx. Yuu_ \--finally says, following the Headmaster when he waved them over.

“No surname?” Dire inquired with curiosity as they both began walking towards the Dark Mirror.

“...I have many--but I don’t want to choose one.” Mx. Yuu replied, and Dire raised an eyebrow at the... ** _strange_** answer, but the Headmaster decided not to further question it for now. The child was about to be sent on their merry way soon.

“Well then, Mx. Yuu, I am terribly sorry to say that, since you never intended to enroll into Night Raven College, I am going to have to ask you to leave the school.” Dire explained as they stood before the Mirror of Darkness, who, strangely, seemed to gaze directly at Mx. Yuu. The Dark Mirror’s gaze was usually distant and detached; Dire had never seen the Slave look so intently at a person before...

“Understandable.” They reply easily to Dire’s explanation, loosening their light grip on Grim to let the feline go float on his own in the air with the assistance of magic. Mx. Yuu looked at the cat-monster before turning their gaze back to connect with Dire’s. “...Will you let Lord Grim be enrolled into this school?”

“...Well, since i-- _he_ does possess magic, and he wishes to go here…and Mx. Yuu...you are giving up your place in the school for him...” Dire grimaced, glancing down at the furball. He wondered about the consequences. Already, the cat was a handful to deal with, but to be a school that had successfully taught a monster? Would that make Night Raven College a greater school, or would it get frowned upon for letting a monster learn here? This human child was demanding such bizarre things from him! “...Like you had stated earlier, he **_will_** have to go through the consequences of the destruction he has left on this school…”

“And then…?” Mx. Yuu patiently prompted, and Dire sighed again, struggling with what to say. Was he really going to do this? He could kick the cat out once Mx. Yuu was gone, but the Headmaster had a distinct feeling that that would turn out badly for him.

“Grim...will be enrolled into this school in your place,” Dire exhaled with exasperation before putting on a bright smile, spreading his arms out as he looked down at Mx. Yuu. “For I am gracious~!”

“...F-F’nyah!?” The cat-monster cried out with surprise. Glancing down at Grim, Dire could see tears appearing in the monster’s eyes. Oh my. Had the cat been so desperate to get into Night Raven College, that he was crying tears of joy and relief right now? “I-I can…! I...I-I can go to this school?”

“Congratulations, Lord Grim.” Mx. Yuu said to the cat-monster, with a small smile on their lips.

“H- _Hah_! I knew I would g-get in!” Grim stuttered as he quickly scrubbed at his face to wipe away any tears that had been there. He floated just a bit higher to grin down at Mx. Yuu smugly. “This was all a part of the Great Lord Grim’s plan!”

“Well, Great Lord Grim,” Mx. Yuu replied, and there was nothing mocking about the way they spoke; it didn’t sound like they were looking down on him. Like before, it sounded like an adult indulging a child. “Remember that you must face the consequences of your actions before you are allowed into the school.”

“ _Geh_!” Grim flinched, looking down at Mx. Yuu for a long moment before he drifted down a little to be more at eye-level with the smiling human. “...Th-The Great Lord Grim doesn’t have to do no such thing--!”

“If _I_ were to suddenly destroy all of your favorite things, how would you feel?” Mx. Yuu cut in calmly while Grim blinked. “You would want me to get some sort of penalty, right?”

“I would’ve _roasted_ you.” Grim replied huffily.

“I see.” Mx. Yuu nodded, still keeping careful eye-contact with Grim to make sure the feline was listening. “Now, in this case, you are the person who destroyed some important things, and Headmaster Crowley and the school as a whole are the ones upset and want you to be punished for what you did.” Grim frowned at this, looking like he wanted to complain, deny, or argue, but he kept his mouth shut for now when Mx. Yuu continued to speak. “You won’t be kicked out of the school, but you do need to understand that you shouldn’t set everything on fire just because you can. I’m sure the punishment won’t last long…”

As Mx. Yuu finished speaking, they looked over at Dire, who was mildly surprised at the explanation given to Grim about what was going to happen if the cat-monster really wanted to get into Night Raven College. Grim seemed to be actually thinking about Mx. Yuu’s words, a furrow between his eyes as he then frowned at the Headmaster.

“I am still thinking about that, but I am leaning towards manual labor for just the first day of school.” Dire hummed, and he watched Grim’s face scrunch up with anger. The Headmaster huffed, placing his hand under his chin as he stared the cat-monster down. “Now, now--I **_can_** make it last the entire semester, or so much longer, if you do not feel _grateful_.”

Grim made a face at that, but he wisely didn’t say anything. Mx. Yuu smiled a little at Grim’s silent grumbling before blinking, realization crossing their face as they turned their attention back to Dire.

“Ah, one more thing before I leave.” They say, looking a little sheepish and weary, swaying for a moment on their feet before they found their balance. “...I-I need to send a message to the Royalty of Fantasia.”

…

...

“... _Who_?” Dire inquired, confused as he blinked his golden eyes rapidly behind his mask, taloned fingers clinking together as he moved his hands to his sides.

“...U-Um…” Mx. Yuu looked troubled now as they looked back at Dire, eyebrows furrowed as they spoke once more. “Well...you know...the Leaders…of the Kingdom?”

“Do you mean...the Rose Kingdom?” Seeing Mx. Yuu’s lost expression, Dire continued to speak. “...or Afterglow Savanna...or maybe the Land of Pyroxene?” The human child’s face became progressively more pale and confused. “How about the Land of Hot Sands...the Coral Sea...the Isle of Lamentation...o-or the Valley of Thorns? _Surely_ you have heard of at least a **_few_** of these places? **_One_** of them?”

But Mx. Yuu continued to look lost, almost scared now as they slowly shook their head at every name Dire had listed. They fisted the side of their robes, hands shaking slightly as they stared at the Headmaster with wide eyes. Grim frowned down at the human before glancing over at Dire with confusion, and then he glanced back at Mx. Yuu again.

“N-No. I’m talking about...Fantasia-- _ **the**_ _Kingdom of Fantasia_.” Dire continued to look at Mx. Yuu blankly. The human child looked like they were starting to panic just a bit. “Have you heard of the cities then? Pastorale...maybe Ave Maria...o-or Fénix?

“I...never heard of any of those places…” Dire replied haltingly, blinking his golden eyes rapidly with bafflement, one gloved hand moving back under his chin once more. “Is this somewhere on the other side of the world?”

“F-Fantasia is a Kingdom that takes up a lot of the land. I thought...it was well known…” Mx. Yuu murmured in reply, and an uncomfortable silence then fell on both of them as Grim continued to look between the two.

“W- _Well_ , the Dark Mirror will send you directly back from whence you came. Apologies, but I don’t think we will be able to send a letter to... _the_ _Kingdom of Fantasia_ , since there is a possibility of the message getting lost if left in our hands.” Dire then decided to break up the awkward silence. After a slight pause, Mx. Yuu finally nodded their head with understanding, though their expression was conflicted and confused. Dire then put on a bright smile to encourage the little human as he waved a hand over to the Dark Mirror. “Now, picture your intended destination in your mind. The Gate shall help you get home.”

Mx. Yuu’s face went through a strange array of emotions at the word ‘home’ before they exhaled heavily, expression smoothing out to one of calm. Mx. Yuu then glanced over at Grim, who was still floating nearby; they smiled softly at the cat-monster.

“...Good luck with your studies, Lord Grim.” They said with a smile.

“ _Hmph_! The next time you’ll hear about me, I’ll be the **_top_** mage of this school, henchman!” Grim replied.

Mx. Yuu seemed to grimace at the word ‘ _henchman_ ’ for a moment before they smiled again. They let out a soft laugh before nodding their head at Grim in acknowledgement. They finally walked up to stand directly in front of the Dark Mirror. After Mx. Yuu exhaled softly, they closed their eyes to get an image in their head, and Dire decided to get the process going.

“Oh Dark Mirror…” Dire called out to the Slave within the Mirror of Darkness. “Guide this one back to the place they belong!”

…

…

...Dire blinked when there was no great flash of white light; he heard nothing from the Dark Mirror, only the soft sound of crackling from the green flames surrounding the mask-like face within.

“...A-Ah, perhaps we should try again?” Dire murmured unsuredly, coughing into a gloved fist before spreading his arms out as he faced the Mirror of Darkness fully, standing behind the human. “Oh Dark Mirror! Guide this--”

“ **It is nowhere.** ” The Slave cut in. Huh? Dire opened and closed his mouth for a long moment, confused; Mx. Yuu went concerningly still with surprise, their tired gaze snapping open quickly. Perhaps there was a mistake? But then the Dark Mirror continued to speak. “ **The place they belong is...nowhere in this world.** ” The hollow eyes of the Slave move to stare directly into Mx. Yuu’s eyes. “ **...It does not exist.** ”

...

... _What_?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The cities of the Kingdom of Fantasia are inspired by the songs in the soundtracks from Fantasia (1940) and Fantasia 2000 (1999). Just some fun facts. :)
> 
> Here's a s'more on your way out! Have a nice day, and I hope you guys stay safe. :D


	3. Dust, Ghosts, and Sunrise.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ramshackle Ghosts: IT IS SPOOKY MONTH! :D :D :D  
> Also the Ramshackle Ghosts: I guess we're adopting a human and a raccoon-creature tonight. :) :0) :oD

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit long. Sorry, there isn't anything that exciting in this chapter. :(
> 
> Hope you enjoy some virtual hot chocolate though! :DDD

You think you might be on the verge of passing out for real now, but you had a long ways to go until you could finally rest.

The moment you had entered the ceremony room, your gaze immediately went to the entrances, the exits, and the people you thought could be possible threats. Your eyes found seven individuals in the room that you sensed were far more powerful than the others.

The first person you saw was a young man, pale face just out of its soft, baby-round stage. He had vibrant, red hair, two strands somewhat shaped like a heart; the Queen of Hearts cooed briefly on how adorable the redhead looked. There was a steely glint in the young man’s silver eyes as they shone like liquid mercury underneath his hood. He stood, chin slightly raised, and there was pure confidence in his posture and gaze, his eyes seemingly demanding respect and obedience. 

The second person you studied briefly was a much taller, tanner-skinned male, his long, wavy hair reminding you of the dark brown, nearly black, color of espresso. His irises were a darker shade of green compared to Mr. Horns, a thin, pale scar going over his left eye--but it didn’t look like he couldn’t see through it. The dark-skinned male’s expression was scrunched up slightly, as if he smelt something foul, and you idly wondered what he was smelling. Was it you? You felt kind of bad if it was you.

The third person you looked at had a head of short, wavy, silver hair, his bangs swept to the left side of his face. His skin was pale, and he had a tiny beauty mark on his chin. Behind thin, rectangular glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, was a pair of aquamarine eyes, which seemed to be brimming with knowledge and interest; there also seemed to be something slightly sinister in his gaze--like he was already scheming something at the moment. He smiled at you when you looked at him, and you felt slightly embarrassed for being caught in your observations. You felt that you would have to be careful around this one...

The fourth was... _well_ …….seemingly less dangerous than the other people you had picked out in the room; you could read his magic better than the others. You sensed that he was strong, but his magic was...gentle in a way, like a cool, soothing touch to something that throbbed with pain. His hair was short, white, and spiky, but it looked soft to the touch; his tan skin color made his unique hair color stand out a bit more. His eyes were like polished rubies, bright and reflecting the soft lights of the room. You had a feeling that he had a very effective kicked-puppy look, and you weren’t quite sure if you would have the strength to resist it if it were to be used on you. Fortunately, he was just smiling brightly now, watching you with a curious tilt of his head. 

The fifth person had eyes of amethyst, and they were filled with nothing but disdain. It reminded you of the looks the Royalty gave you--like you were nothing but dirt beneath their shoes. It made you a little uncomfortable...but he did have very charming and handsome features, pale skin smooth and unblemished. His hair was an ash-blonde color with violet highlights at the ends of his slightly wavy locks. You grimace slightly, feeling his burning gaze directed mostly at your robes and feet. If he was like the Royalty of Fantasia, he must think that you were a slob or something.

The sixth per--well, they weren’t really a person, but a floating, blue tablet, that looked far more technologically advanced compared to what was made in the main city of Fantasia. You could sense a tingle of magic around the device, but what set you on edge the most was the fact that there was no actual person here to keep in your sights. Someone completely unknown to you was observing everything through the device, and that just made you pull your magic closer to yourself, hiding it as much as possible with the state you were currently in. You hope that it wasn’t someone that was close with the Royalty watching you; he or she might report your presence to Them, and then…...you don’t want to think about it.

The seventh was the oddest one among everyone, and he was harder to see since he was mostly among the crowd. Before you could even catch a glimpse of this person, you sensed something about him that was... _old_...like Lord Hades...or Mistress Maleficent. When you finally caught sight of the person, you were surprised by how cherubic he looked, pale face framed by short, straight onyx locks with magenta highlights. His eyes looked like garnet gemstones, pupils slitted, showing that he wasn’t exactly human...

Perhaps...he was a fae, but to come across two-- _while not the same type_ \--in one day would be close to impossible. Fae were...rare to see after all. The Kingdom of Fantasia had never hunted down the fae, for they were powerful beings, but they gradually began to...die out due to Chernabog’s existence and hunger for anything powerful to devour and absorb their magic.

The Devil nearly succeeded in wiping out all of the fae before many went into hiding. Other fae, those who were willing to risk the wrath of Chernabog, ventured into the lands of Fantasia. And so meeting Mr. Horns, a draconic fae like Mistress Maleficent, had been a shocking, yet pleasant, surprise; you had only come across remains of their kind for many years. You never thought you would meet another draconic fae...or lived long enough to see one.

Anyways, this...possible fae was certainly not of the dragon-kind, but you could sense that he was still powerful. And now, the fae’s garnet gaze connected with yours, and he seems to smile, showing off his fangs with a curious tilt of his head, and so you quickly turned your gaze back to your current destination: the Dark Mirror. You stopped in front of the floating mirror, waiting...and then it was suddenly covered in green flames before revealing...

{...That is…} Queen Grimhilde began before pausing.

‘Queen Grimhilde…?’ You asked internally, gazing back at the mask-like face within the mirror. You felt a throb of pain go through your head briefly, but you resist the urge to lift a hand up to it.

{...Do not concern yourself for now, Vessel. There are still many unknowns in this place, so we’d like for you to focus on the task at hand.} Queen Grimhilde had said in response. You were worried for her, but decided to listen to the Evil Queen’s directions.

After giving the Dark Mirror a name, you were scared for a moment when the being could apparently see through you-- _and the Seven_ \--despite how hard you were trying to conceal your magic. You feared that the Dark Mirror would say more, but then he was sorting you...into a dorm?

Ah, Mr. Horns had mentioned that to you before he left. So this school had a dorm system? And apparently, the Dark Mirror sorted people out by the shape of their soul; you felt kind of uncomfortable at being scrutinized so closely. A part of you wanted to run to the closest exit, but you refrained. However, the Dark Mirror ended up sorting you into no dormitory, and murmuring began to start up from everyone in the room, and you felt the eyes of many on your back; that glasses-wearing silver-haired student was looking at you still, and he smiled when you made eye-contact with him. The option of crashing out of a window and running seemed a bit more appealing more and more.

Well, you never intended to go to this school in the first place, so being in no dorm worked out for you…...and then Headmaster Crowley lost concentration on his spell to restrain Grim. You quickly went to the closest person who unfortunately caught on fire, and you found that it was the ruby-eyed, white-haired student you had noted as strong, but not completely dangerous. He seemed to have kind eyes as well, but you were unprepared for...whatever it was he was about to do to you after putting out the fire on his butt.

{I think he was going to give you a little hug, guppy.} Mistress Ursula hummed, and you furrowed your eyebrows with confusion for a brief moment as you nervously asked the person in front of you to help put out the fires if he could.

 _Why_ would the white-haired student hug you? You couldn’t think long about that when he suddenly smacked his forehead. You had tried to decipher what his magic was like the moment you entered this room, and now it looked like you were correct in assuming that it was gentle and cool. He could summon a great amount of water, and it didn’t look like he had to use much of his magic for the spell. How convenient.

You then went after Grim now that the situation with the surrounding fires was being dealt with. Once you stop the source of the fire, all of the chaos should settle down. Asking for the help of the lilac-haired student was a bit unexpected on your part, but you were running low on energy, and you had a good feeling that he was stronger than he looked. He was the closest to you as well at the time.

{Are you _kidding_ me?} Lord Hades had commented in your head the moment you asked the lilac-haired student for his help. {The girly brat doesn’t even look like he could bench press a **_toothpick_**!}

{Oh, Hades, don’t you know that our dear hedgehog has gotten better at gauging people’s strengths and weaknesses the moment they meet them?} The Queen of Hearts had giggled at the Lord of the Underworld.

{There is _no_ way that brat can lift our Matchstick up--even though our kid is already freakishly light.} Lord Hades argued back.

Needless to say, Lord Hades ended up being wrong about the lilac-haired boy.

Moving onto darker topics, seeing a beastman was...a bit of a shock to you. You are certain that you are not in the Capital right now...because there was a _beastman_ right here before you, chainless, uncollared, and free. You know that it was rude, but you can’t help but stare at the white, wolf ears on top of the tan-skinned beastman that had caught you. Ever since the war had begun a few decades ago, beastmen had been enslaved and used as...lowly servants... _pets_... ** _slaves_**...

Seeing this wolf-beastman in front of you, standing tall, confident, and unshackled...you were overjoyed. You were snapped out of your thoughts and your stunned state when Grim began to wiggle around a little, so you tighten your grip slightly on the scruff of his neck so he wouldn’t escape.

When you chanced a brief glance around the room over the wolf-beastman’s shoulder, you feared the sight of someone coming to attack and restrain him; you would be ready to defend the wolf-eared, young man and help him escape by any means necessary. But to your very pleasant surprise, no one seemed alarmed or angered by the sight of a beastman in their midst. Everyone looked calm and-- _were those other beastmen on the other side of the room?_

You watch, shocked, as a cheetah-beastman complained to his jaguar-eared classmate as he rubbed his apparently sore head while the other checked up on him. Were beastmen common in this school? This school, wherever it was in the Kingdom of Fantasia, was taking great risks by letting a beastman learn here--but you had **_nothing_** against that. Nothing at all.

A part of you wanted to smile brightly at the news, but you knew you would probably look a little weird considering the current situation. You reluctantly turned your attention back to Grim when the wolf-beastman set you down on your feet. You were exhausted with the cat-monster’s behavior, and so you ended up being a bit...unnerving to the feline. Honestly, you save those looks when you want to intimidate an enemy, but at least you toned it down a bit.

{Haha, the poor kitty would’ve wet himself if you did one of your special glares.} Lord Hades had cackled amusedly. {Hey, Matchstick, maybe you should use it o--}

{We will **_not_** use it on Crowley.} Lord Jafar hissed. {Are you _trying_ to make this entire situation worse for the child?}

{I’m just **_saying_**! You need to learn to have more fun, Snakey.} Lord Hades huffed, and you could imagine him pouting like a child.

Once Grim had calmed down, you finally got to explain yourself, stating that the cat-monster was not your familiar to the Headmaster. Watching Headmaster Crowley fumble for words was somewhat amusing to watch, but then your thoughts were slowly drawn back to Grim, who had settled in your arms.

{...Oh no.} Lord Hades groaned, and you ignored him. You started using a simple spell to begin drying your clothes while you continued to think, gazing down at Grim. {Hildey, Ms. Horns! Matchstick is doing it again! They’re being unnecessarily nice to undeserving people!}

You ignored Lord Hades’ childish whining-- _the Lord of the Underworld let out an indignant noise at your thoughts_ \--and cut off the Headmaster in booting Grim off the school ground, offering your place in the academy for the feline to take. The cat had yelled at you earlier that he wanted to become a great mage, and since he was so determined to become one, you decide that you should help him then. While Grim had tried to burn you multiple times, you were more amused than anything, and you felt sympathy for him.

You may not have gone to school due to your...status in society, but you had the great honor of learning various things from the Great Seven. Helping a monster, beings that were often killed for no damn reason, was something you couldn’t help but want to do; if this school is taking risks to allow beastmen to enroll into it, perhaps they can help add a monster to its list of students. If the Kingdom of Fantasia were to tear this place down because of the beastmen and, possibly, monster that were in this school, you were prepared to fight back--your contract-curse with the Royalty has been broken now after all.

{My, my, guppy. You are planning quite far into the future.} Mistress Ursula hummed, sounding amused. Some of her exasperation leaked into her next few words. {You must remember that you are still in no state to do anything strenuous right now.}

Headmaster Crowley was expectedly reluctant at your offer, but you could actually see that he was thinking about it instead of instantly dismissing the idea; while this masked man was quite frustrating when you first met him, you commend his boldness to treat beastmen equally with other mages. Many of the Great Seven seemed suspicious of Headmaster Crowley though.

Eventually, the surrounding groups of students began to exit the room once Headmaster Crowley dismissed them all, their shoes squeaking a few times on the wet, stone ground. You were a bit wary of the gazes that were briefly thrown at you when they left; a part of you softened and relaxed at the sight of the ruby-eyed, white-haired student cheerfully waving at you, and you returned the farewell hesitantly. And the seventh person you noted in the room, the one who possessed an old quality to him, apparently knew Mr. Horns. However, you still weren’t quite sure how to feel about the short, pointy-eared person who smiled at you with amusement and interest; he was still a bit too mysterious to you for now.

Once everyone was gone, you further discussed the possibility of Grim being allowed into Night Raven College. To your pleasant surprise and relief, Headmaster Crowley eventually agreed to your offer, and you watched with amusement and growing fondness at how overjoyed Grim was at the news; being called a ‘henchman’ briefly brought up a few...memories, but the word didn’t make you feel that bad. Anyways, now you’re already thinking about how to come back to this place to check up on Grim and visit Mr. Horns…

…

...And then everything became a jumbled mess when you asked Headmaster Crowely if he could send a letter to the Royalty of Fantasia.

Headmaster Crowely does not know about the Kingdom of Fantasia; the Dark Mirror said that it does not freaking exist. But how is that possible? Where the hell were you then? Could you possibly be on the opposite side of the world? That had to be the only answer….right? What did the Dark Mirror mean that the Kingdom of Fantasia did not exist?

And so, the Headmaster had dragged you along with him, and the three of you went over to the library where you had met Mr. Horns. Grim was forced to come with Headmaster Crowley and you because, after asking the Dark Mirror to sort the cat-monster, apparently the feline did not belong in any dorm; the shape of his soul was different, and did not fit with the established dormitories.

You were concerned about Grim’s position in the school, but Headmaster Crowley assured you that something would be done about that. And so...now you are mostly worried about where you were at the moment as you stare down at the multiple world maps laid out before you on a table in the library. 

“This…’Kingdom of Fantasia’ does not exist in any of our books…” Headmaster Crowley mutters, looking at you with wide, confused, golden eyes from time to time as he flipped through multiple atlases and other various books to help his research. He pauses for a split second, biting his lower lip before he lifts his head from a map to make tentative eye-contact with you. “...A-And there is no...war that has been going on...for the past few decades...”

When you had mentioned news about the war to Headmaster Crowley on the way to the library, the masked man had actually stumbled, barely stopping himself from falling before he whipped his head around to look at you with wide eyes. He opened and closed his mouth for a long moment, at a loss for words. When you chanced a glance over at Grim, who was floating beside you, he only seemed confused, his pronged tail swaying around idly.

Headmaster Crowley seemed more determined to get you to the library, quickening his pace and ushering you along. With a shaky hand, you smooth your fingers and palm over the most current world map before you, and you don’t recognize anything about it--neither do the Seven.

The land formations were wrong. What happened to the various chunks of land Chernabog had decimated from existence with violent, churning waves and earthquakes? What about the cities and towns you traveled through? What about the mountains where you had your final battle with Chernabog?

There was **_nothing_** right about the map in front of you.

{This could possibly be a high-class illusion spell…} Lord Jafar murmurs quietly, but it doesn’t sound like he believes his own words.

{We can all sense that there is no active spell surrounding us, Jafar, and our shields around the cub’s mind couldn’t even be cracked by _Him_.} Lord Scar replies, a slightly growl in his voice. You can imagine the lion prowling around, tail lashing around with agitation as he thought. {...Some other kind of magic is at work here.}

{Well, if it is not an illusion, then what is it?} The Queen of Hearts prompted, sounding a bit on edge. {Our dear little hedgehog couldn’t have gone... _mad_ , yes?}

You **_hope_** you haven’t gone crazy. 

You glanced over at the history book you had been flipping through earlier. Within the pages of the book, there was no mention of Chernabog...the frequent battles...the Royalty...or the Kingdom of Fantasia. There were some mentioned racism about the beastmen, but there was no enslavement over the animal-people. The multiple mini-wars between the Kingdom of Fantasia and the mer-people also did not exist; the beings of the sea lived in harmony with humans and beastmen. The race of fae as a whole were also not endangered or have gone into hiding in this place, though they were still a mysterious species.

Apparently, the world that you had known for all of your life...did not exist.

…

…

... ** _Shit_** , you think you might throw up now with how much your stomach is churning with unease and panic. You squeeze your right thigh; even though it was healed, it was still a bit tender, and you used the pain to ground yourself to the here and now. What was all of this? If this wasn’t the other side of the world, and this wasn’t some sort of illusion, then what was going on? Did you get teleported to a different world? Or an alternate unive--......oh. **_Oh_**.

{Huh. That wasn’t a possibility we considered.} Lord Hades says before directing his next words at Queen Grimhilde. {Hildey, what the hell?}

{I already told you that I had not intended for any of this to happen!} The Evil Queen hisses in response. {Something had interfered, and we were all brought here.}

But what had interfered to bring you to this, possibly, alternate reality? You blink your eyes harshly, the words, colors, and shapes before you starting to blur and blend together. Frick, you were so tired; you really didn’t feel like dealing with all of this now.

“--uu? Mx. Yuu, are you alright?” You eventually heard Headmaster Crowley break through the slight fog in your head. You squeeze your eyes shut for a moment, exhaling shakily as you try and gather your thoughts. You then open your eyes and lift your head to make eye-contact with Headmaster Crowley, who was watching you carefully. “My, my...it’s as if you are from a completely different world,” Headmaster Crowley says, unknowingly coming to the same conclusions you and the Seven have made. “...Do you truly have no home, possessions, or any form of ID on you?”

“...No.” You whisper your answer to all three listed things that you did not have, mouth feeling dry and throat sore. You duck your head back down to look at the map before you, and your hands shake a little.

{ _Calm_ , Dragon-Child.} Mistress Maleficent murmurs in your head. {We will figure this out together. You are not alone.} But what if...what if it was your faul--? { ** _Don’t_**. Do not think like that, dear one-- ** _never_** think like that.}

Mistress Maleficent’s last few words are said fiercely, but the phantom hands that brush over your temples and cheeks are gentle and warm. You exhale shakily, squeezing your right thigh one last time as you listen to Headmaster Crowley speak once more.

“As an educator, I can’t exactly kick you, a penniless child, out into the cold, lonely streets with no form of communication…and there is the dorm situation with the cat...” He muttered, placing a hand underneath his chin as the warm light of the library lamps made his golden talons glint. The Headmaster’s eyes then seem to light up a little as he looks back at you, smiling brightly. “That’s right! There is an unused building on campus. It was once a dormitory in the past, but perhaps with a little cleaning, it can be used again. This building can act as Mr. Grim’s dormitory since he could not be sorted into any of the others, and I will make sure to add this information to the school system and inform the staff.”

You relax at the good news for Grim, but you still felt somewhat tense about your own situation, waiting for Headmaster Crowley’s next few words. You watch as the Headmaster then walks around the table to stand next to you, while you turn in your chair to face him fully. He beams down at you, golden eyes bright within the holes of his mask.

“And you, Mx. Yuu...I will allow you to stay at that dormitory for the time being while I look for a way for you to return home.” Headmaster Crowley's smile brightens further as he spreads his arms out, looking far too cheerful despite all of this. “Ah, my graciousness is limitless! I am a model for all educators~!” Out of the corner of your eye, you see Grim frown with suspicion. The Headmaster then began to walk towards the library doors, looking energetic while you felt completely exhausted. “Come on now, Mx. Yuu, Mr. Grim! Let us be on our way and head to the dormitory. While it may be a bit old, there is a certain charm to it. I’m sure Mr. Grim and you will like it!”

{If his ego makes his head swell enough to explode, then maybe we don’t have to kill him ourselves.} Lord Hades mutters darkly as you shakily get to your feet, pushing the chair in while the maps and books begin to put themselves away. A small smile of amusement appears on your lips at Lord Hades’ words, but then you turn your focus to taking one step after the other, following Headmaster Crowley out of the library, Grim at your side. {...On the bright side, I guess those Fantasian bastards or any of the demon’s henchmen won't be trying to come after us any time soon.}

You have mixed feelings on that. You are relieved that you won’t have to worry about Fantasian knights, hunters, or Chernabog’s henchmen chasing you down, but you felt worried about the unknown world you were now in. Sure, this place was filled with various things you were immediately familiar with, but this world was still far different from the one that you have known. Of course, there were various good things about this world-- _beastmen equality, peace with the mer-people, the fae are not a rare species, no Chernabog, no war, no Royalty of Fantasia_ \--but there were so **_many_** unknowns…! You start rubbing at your wrists nervously.

{ _Hey_ , kid.} Lord Hades speaks up, cutting through your spiraling thoughts as you walk down the stone hallway, staring at Headmaster Crowley’s back.

‘...Yes, Lord Bonfire?’ You reply hesitantly in your head.

{We’ll be alright, okay?} Lord Hades says, his joking tone uncharacteristically missing at the moment, but his voice is still warm. {Everything is gonna be fine.}

...You certainly wouldn’t have made it this far without the Seven. You felt reassurance being sent through your bonds from them, and your shoulders lower a bit from their tense position. Your lower lip trembles for a moment, and your eyes feel hot...but a smile manages to make its way onto your face, a warm feeling settling in your chest as you exhale shakily.

‘...I know.’

Because you have them with you.

~~

“...Why’d ya’ do this for me…?” Grim suddenly mumbles beside you, pronged tail lazily swishing from side to side as he floats at your right.

The cat-monster had been surprisingly silent ever since he was sorted into no dorm, but Headmaster Crowley assured him-- _and you_ \--that the masked man would figure something out. You think he might also be silent around you because of the...look you had given him; you feel bad about that, but the feline had to calm down somehow. And now, Grim has finally spoken as you both walk down the smooth, stone path to the dorm that Headmaster Crowley was leading the two of you to. When you incline your head slightly at him in question, he huffs before he clarifies his words. 

“Why’d ya help get me into this school?”

“You said that you wanted to become a great magician, didn’t you?” You reply easily, shivering briefly when a rather chilly breeze blows by. You draw your robes around yourself tightly before a warm sensation surrounds you; you send a silent ‘Thank you’ to Lord Hades through the bond.

“I tried to burn you to a crisp.” Grim says flatly, looking at you like you were an idiot. Perhaps you were. Many people in your life had called you naïve, foolish, idiotic, dumb, etc.--and also various other derogatory terms that you’d rather not mention.

“Eh, not exactly the worst thing anyone’s ever done to me.” You hum as dry, dead leaves on the stone walkway crinkle underneath your bandaged feet. A wry smile appears on your lips as you briefly rub at your wrists when they twinge with pain.

“...You’re weird, human.”

“Also not the worst thing anyone’s ever said to me.” You reply with a lopsided smile, a weary laugh escaping you.

{I’m slightly infuriated by the fact that everything you just said is true, little hedgehog.} The Queen of Hearts hums, though her cheery voice was tight with barely restrained anger.

“You better not make me owe you later on.” Grim then grumbles, squinting at you with suspicion, tail starting to lash around.

“Well, there is one thing that I want from you...” You say, watching with amusement as Grim scowls darkly. Before he can have a fit, you speak once more. “...I want to be your friend.”

Grim pauses at that, faltering in the air as he stares at you with wide, blue eyes. You slow in your walk so he wouldn’t fall behind, watching him expectantly as he quickly comes back to himself, shaking his head rapidly to snap out of his slight daze. Grim picks up the pace and you do the same to walk beside him as he continues to fly. You sense his magic fluttering around him like butterflies; he was surprised...and nervous.

“Y-You have yet to get on my level of power first, stupid human!” Grim huffs, crossing his arms as he floats a little higher to look down at you. He seems to war with himself for a moment, watching your face with a familiar, aching wariness before he puffs himself up, tilting his chin up while looking down at you to seem superior. He clears his throat briefly as he gathers himself, keeping his voice even and haughty. “...For now, you’ll be my henchman!”

{Why you _little_ \--!} Lord Hades growls, but you laugh softly, nodding in agreement with Grim’s words.

“And then we can be friends?” You ask, smiling brightly, watching the cat-monster flounder in response for a moment, at a loss for words as he continues to float beside you. The flames on his ears flare up for a moment, and he ducks his head down slightly, arms still crossed in front of himself.

“...I’ll...think about it...henchman...” The cat-monster finally mutters. When he finally lifts his head, he grins at you as he puffs his chest up once more, paws now at his hips. “I demand a lot of tuna cans for your first task!”

“I’ll see what I can do...Lord Grim.” You reply with mild amusement, watching as the feline perks up before cheering with joy at the possibility of getting tuna cans soon. He quickly picks up speed to go ahead of you, tail swaying around happily.

{...Hey, hey...kid, are you really alright with this?} Lord Hades asks, voice a little wary and worried. {Earlier, you were all uncomfortable when he called you...that…}

“He’s not really making me...his _henchman_.” You say in response under your breath, trying to calm the unease within your head. “He isn’t like...those people, so it’s alright. I’m fine-- ** _really_**.”

You really are fine. Grim was not like...the Royalty...or the other bad people in your life. You were not being made into an actual servant...or **_slave_**. Grim reminds you more of a funny, demanding child than anything else, and it was amusing to watch him. He...also reminds you of a lonely child seeking the attention of others, one that was also wary...of being tricked or hurt. You recognize those brief glimpses of wariness in his eyes after all; you’ve seen it many times. You wonder...if Grim has-- _or **had**_ \--a family.

“ _Fu’nyah_! What the heck is this!?” You suddenly hear Grim cry out with outrage ahead of you.

Slightly concerned, you quickly rush forwards up the stone walkway, ascending the slight incline to see Headmaster Crowley and Grim slightly behind the masked man. Seeing that no one was injured or dead, you scan the area, noting how the path branches into two now, one going straight ahead while the other slowly winds its way up a slight incline. Your eyes follow the way that diverges to the left, gaze falling upon a crooked, iron gate and a fence line. One lantern was lit and placed upon one of the stone supports of the fence while the iron bars of the rest of the structure were bent in all directions, black paint flaking away with rust eating at the joints of the metal.

Your gaze goes past the fence...and were those **_graves_**? You blink, and yes, there are a few graves beyond the fence, the carved words into the stone difficult to see from here. There was also a shovel propped against the fence, and you weren’t sure how to feel about the implications.

You drag your gaze away from the headstones by the leafless, web-covered tree near the gate, and your eyes follow the diverging path-- _now staircase_ \--as it slowly zig-zags its way up the hill, past lit and unlit lanterns to…...a building...that looked like it would soon be toppled over by a violent gust of wind.

Upon the hill, built between similar leafless and web-covered trees, was a stone building with a tiled rooftop. It reminded you of mansions that belonged to the high-class people of Fantasia, except this building was obviously in a bad condition, uncared for, and close to collapsing. You could see, with the bare lighting in the night, that there were wooden planks boarding up the various windows that were visible at the moment. Honestly, all in all, this building--the dormitory you assume that Headmaster Crowley had been talking about--looks like a haunted mansion. You start thinking about the various exorcising spells for vengeful, violent spirits that you had learned from Lord Hades as you approach Headmaster Crowely and Grim.

“...Charming.” Was all you could offer at the moment once you stood next to Grim, the both of you behind Crowley as another wave of exhaustion abruptly hit you.

The Seven were deathly silent in your head. When Grim looks like he was about to say something, you quickly made eye-contact with him and you shake your head sharply while the Headmaster’s back is still turned to the both of you. Grim frowns at you for a moment before begrudgingly keeping silent, a huff of smoke escaping his mouth.

“Yes, _yes_ ~! Aren’t I gracious~?” Headmaster Crowley hums cheerfully, turning around to beam at Grim and you.

Grim only looks at the Headmaster with a deadpan expression while you send a lopsided smile at the masked man. You’ll silently admit that you’ve slept in worse places, so you don’t exactly feel like complaining about the old dormitory on the hill. Headmaster Crowley’s smile brightens further before he waves at Grim and you for you both to follow him once more, using a light push to open the right half of the gate--which instantly falls forward from its rusty hinges onto the stone ground with a sharp ‘CLANG’.

There’s a slightly awkward pause, Headmaster Crowley gazing down at the rusty, iron door for a moment before finally lifting his gaze to look at Grim and you. The Headmaster smiles nervously at the both of you before stepping over the fallen half of the gate. Honestly, the left side of the gate looks ready to join its other half on the stone ground right now.

“Do not worry! We were planning on renovating the building and the fence, so that will be fixed soon enough.” Headmaster Crowley says as he then briskly makes his way up the winding stairs, expecting Grim and you to quickly follow. Within a few minutes, the three of you have ascended the stairs and are now in front of the dormitory doors.

The left door was already ajar, or rather, it was off its hinges and was awkwardly leaning on top of the open entrance and the right door at an angle. Headmaster Crowley continues on with a cheerful mood, as if nothing was wrong as he moved the loose wooden door to the side and propped it against the doorframe before stepping to the side, gesturing for Grim and you to walk in ahead of him. You guess that it’s good that the right door was at least still on its hinges.

“Well, are you grateful for the shelter that I have provided for you, Mx. Yuu, Mr. Grim~?” Headmaster Crowley says brightly as you go inside, barely stepping to the side slightly to avoid a cobweb to the face. Grim wasn’t as lucky, hissing with annoyance as he batted at his face. “Aren’t I gracious~?”

{...Hey, Matchstick. Can we **_burn_** this birdbrain’s tail feathers?} The Lord of the Underworld finally asks, bright voice tight with aggravation.

‘ _No_. No, we cannot, Lord Bonfire.’ You respond mentally with exhaustion while replying aloud to the Headmaster. Headmaster Crowley, walking in after you two while skillfully avoiding cobwebs, hums happily in acknowledgement at your next few words. “Thank you for providing me shelter...and for giving Grim a dorm to stay in.”

{No, no. Hades, for once, has a very brilliant suggestion. This... ** _Crowley_**...is going to make us stay at this rundown, pest-infested piece of despicable trash...!} Queen Grimhilde hisses in your head. You kinda want to slam your forehead against a wall, hopefully knocking yourself out in the process. Instead, Grim and you follow Headmaster Crowley further into the deteriorating dorm while Queen Grimhilde continues. {But we should let him suffer first-- _slowly_. Vessel, you should concoct a poison for Crowley. I shall assist you.}

You are so tired at this point, almost stumbling over a chair that was on its side in front of the entryway. Glancing around, you can tell that you were in some sort of lounge area. Couches and rugs were torn, chairs were flipped, a few books were scattered on the ground, and paintings were barely hanging onto the walls. The dark green wallpaper was peeling off at some places, and there was a layer of dust on everything. The natural light that spilled into the room from the ceiling to floor windows-- _there was a stripe-patterned couch in front of it_ \--on one side of the room just made everything easier to see, and you spotted a staircase leading up to the next floor. You wonder if it’s worse upstairs? Hopefully not.

‘Well, we at least have a roof over our heads.’ You try to soothe the Seven as Headmaster Crowley gives Grim and you a quick summary of where everything was in the building; you were half listening to the masked man while the beings in your head continue to speak.

{You could easily get sick with the draft that is blowing through here!} Queen Grimhilde argues back, the Queen of Hearts making a noise of agreement with the Evil Queen.

{Especially with the state you are currently in, little guppy.} Mistress Ursula adds, also agreeing with Queen Grimhilde’s words. {Perhaps you should seek out your new friend and stay with him tonight?}

‘I’d rather not impose or leave Grim alone.’ You protest internally, eyes going to the cat-monster as he sneezed for the tenth time ever since entering the dusty dorm. The blue flames on his ears somewhat lit up the area, casting a few dancing shadows over the walls.

{The feline monster is not your responsibility, Diamond.} Lord Jafar says disapprovingly.

{The cub can simply bring the cat with them if they wish.} Lord Scar then huffs, and then his next few words come out as a growl. {As long as they don’t have to stay here for tonight...though I wouldn’t mind biting this bird-man’s head off first...}

{Great idea, Kitty!} Lord Hades says with enthusiasm. {And _then_ I can burn the birdbrain’s tail feathers, right, Matchstick?}

‘We cannot bite, burn, behead, curse, hypnotize, drown, stab, poison, maim, or bring _any_ other type of harm to any person that simply displeases any of us.’ You mumble to them mentally for what must be the millionth time that you’ve been with them. You then grimace, resisting the urge to lift a hand up to your throbbing head, exhaling shakily as you listen to Headmaster Crowley pretty much conclude his explanation of where things were in the dorm.

{Please cease your arguing. The child already has a headache.} Mistress Maleficent sighs, and you could feel a phantom, fingers lightly brush over your forehead as you watch Headmaster Crowley then walk back over to the entrance, noting how it began to rain at some point when you hear the pitter patter of droplets on the tiled roof...and the wooden floor of the dorm since their were a few holes in the ceiling; you lift your hood back over your head before any cold drops of water could land on you. You then hear Mistress Maleficent sigh once more, seemingly at war with herself before finally coming to a conclusion. {...As much as I abhor them staying here, they should not be pushing their body to move any further.}

You hear the others go silent at Mistress Maleficent’s words, begrudgingly seeing the truth in her words; you’re swaying on your feet already and your entire body is shaking. You can force yourself to keep going, of course. Meanwhile, you watch as Headmaster Crowley, smiling brightly with his hands on his hips, gazes at you from where he stood at the doorway, apparently prepared to say his farewells.

“I will be back soon to bring supper for you two--it certainly looks like you need it, Mx. Yuu.” The Headmaster says cheerfully, and your stomach growls softly, making you wince a little. You haven’t eaten anything in a while...but eating too much now would upset it. You’d at least try to eat a few mouthfuls of something to soothe your hunger while avoiding throwing up everything. “Do you have any special requests? For I will graciously fulfill them~!”

{At least he is so kind to think about getting food.} Lord Hades grumbles.

{Careful, Diamond.} Lord Jafar then warns. {He might ask for something in return.}

“...How much do I have to pay you...for everything?” You can’t help but ask wearily before Grim can start making demands. You agree with Lord Jafar--there **_must_** be a catch now. The Headmaster says that he will let you stay at this dorm with Grim, but his graciousness might run out at some point, right? However, at the same time, you do want to repay him in some way for letting you have shelter instead of kicking you out into this somewhat unknown world.

You just don’t want to be chained down by someone again.

“Well…” Headmaster Crowley considers you for a moment, and you feel tempted to tug your hood down further over your face to have the illusion of hiding from his searching gaze. The Headmaster hums for a moment as he places a gloved hand underneath his chin. “...I do suppose I won’t let you live here rent-free...and there is Mr. Grim’s education…...still, you do not have the funds to pay me back, yet you desperately wish to compensate me for my graciousness…...hmm, _yes_ , this is certainly troubling…”

Damn, you never considered the payment Grim would’ve gone through without you if you were to have left by now; he would have been in debt since he didn’t look like he had money either. Your hands clench and unclench into fists, and the large lounge room seems to become smaller around you. You begin to worry that you might end up in a situation where you were powerless once more, and you feel the Seven start to stir around restlessly in your hea-- 

“Ah! Perhaps I can ask shopkeeper Sam to hire you!”

...

... _Who_? Headmaster Crowley merely continues to smile at your wide-eyed, lost expression, dropping his hand from his chin as he spread out both arms to bring a more dramatic effect to his next few words.

“Since you do not have the money to repay me, perhaps you can give back to not me, but the school, by helping Sam at his store!” Headmaster Crowley says before further explaining. “We have a store on this campus that provides for the needs of the students, from school supplies to the basic necessities. All you would need to do is help Sam stock, or find products and produce that the students request for when they come to the shop.”

Oh. You……you think you can do that. You’ve done small jobs like the one the Headmaster was describing to earn some quick cash from time to time--because the Kingdom of Fantasia certainly didn’t pay you for what you’ve done for them. You pull your mind out of your memories when Headmaster Crowley continues to speak.

“You will be serving the school, but you can gain your own money--and I promise you that I, and anyone else in the school, will not take a single madol of your earnings since you are already giving back by helping the students and one of our dear staff members. Also--!” He holds up a single, taloned finger, smile broadening. “Since you will be working here, I shall graciously make your rent at this dorm free--and this will include Mr. Grim’s education. Both of your necessities and Mr. Grim’s education will be provided by the school for free. Everything else will be for you to pay for with your own hard-earned money. But first, I will have to ask Sam if he can hire you.” He hums happily as he spreads his arms out once more. “...Now...aren’t I the most gracious person you have ever met, Mx. Yuu?”

...Honestly, it didn’t sound like a bad idea at all...but it felt too good to be without loopholes and traps. The school was going to pay for Grim’s education and both of your necessities? And you could earn your own money? It all depends on what this ‘Sam’-person says first in response to Headmaster Crowley’s offer though...

{...Huh. Maybe we don’t have to maim the birdbrain.} Lord Hades mutters, surprised but with a hint of suspicion in his voice still.

“...Nothing else?” You ask tentatively, confused and wary.

“Well, what did you expect, Mx. Yuu? I certainly wasn’t planning to make you my slave!” Headmaster Crowley says in response, appalled and ignorant of your flinch at the s-word. He huffs, placing his hands on his hips. “Do not think so lowly of me, please.”

“Sorry…” You quickly mumble in response, head ducking down with shame.

“Well, you can’t blame my henchman for being a little suspicious.“ Grim surprisingly and suddenly defends you, after avoiding a few drops of water dripping from the ceiling. He huffs as he crosses his arms in front of his chest, floating at your right side. “Strangers aren’t always too friendly with people they’ve never met before. My henchman was just making sure that you weren’t plotting something--or didn’t have any sneaky, ulterior motives!”

“Now, now, haven’t I been so gracious to you both tonight? I thought that I have proved myself to be trustworthy by now!” Headmaster Crowley argues before sighing in an overdramatic, mournful way. “Oh, I suppose that once you have a meal in your stomachs, you will feel more at ease with me.”

“...C-Could I request some tuna cans for Lord Grim’s dinner?” You then ask hesitantly, smiling a little when you hear Grim’s overjoyed gasp at your side. “And I’m fine with anything.”

“Do you have any allergies?” Headmaster Crowley surprisingly asks, and you pause with mild surprise before finally answering.

“...Not that I’m aware of.”

“Hmm...then, Mx. Yuu and Mr. Grim, I shall be back within the hour!” Headmaster Crowley then says cheerfully, backing out through the open part of the entrance before reaching out to grasp the edges of the wooden door leaning on the side.

After exiting the dorm, the Headmaster awkwardly places the detached door over the opening to make it look like both doors were properly affixed to their hinges and were not at risk of falling onto the dusty floor; you silently put the doors on the list of the first few things you should fix. You then hear Headmaster Crowley’s footsteps fade away slowly, and you finally exhale. For a moment, you were concerned if the Headmaster was getting soaked by the rain now, but you were certain the masked man was skilled enough with magic to keep himself dry and warm.

“ ** _Ack_**!” Grim abruptly exclaims beside you, a drop of water he wasn’t able to dodge in time landing on his head. He grumbles, swiping at the top of his head irritably as he glares up at the hole-filled ceiling. “Ugh...that stupid bird-man, leaving us in this dump.”

“Sorry, I’m not in my best condition at the moment, but I’ll try and fix up this place later.” You then smile over at Grim, moving your right, bandaged hand up to point at the staircase leading to the next floor. “Why don’t we go upstairs and look for a room with the least amount of holes in it?”

“There better be a dry room somewhere, or I’m gonna roast that featherbrained idiot’s butt when he gets back.” Grim huffs, smoke briefly seeping from his mouth before he blinked, grinning widely when he apparently came to a realization. The cat-monster abruptly rushed ahead towards the staircase, laughing mischievously as he glanced back at you. “Before that, I’m gonna find the best room in this place first!”

“Be careful!” You reply, eyebrows pinching together as you stretched your senses out a little, trying to see if there was anyone else in the building right now. “Everything is close to falling apart, and I don’t want you to get hurt, Lord Grim.”

“Hah!” Grim is at the top of the staircase now, barely visible beyond the banister as he looks down at you. “Stop worrying so much about the Great Lord Grim, henchman! I’ve got powerful magic on my si--”

You abruptly tune out Grim’s self-praising when you feel something cold brush against your senses. Stiffening slightly, you dart your gaze around the area, catching a glimpse of a white blur disappearing into the open kitchen connected to the lounge room. Your eyes then dart to the left when you hear snickering, just in time to see a transparent-looking top hat with a blue ribbon on it duck down behind one of the turned over couches.

There are three cold presences nearby. While two were here on the first floor, the third one is…...you quickly move your gaze back to where Grim was still proclaiming himself to be the strongest, smartest, and bravest monster you will ever know. You almost freeze at the sight of glowing, blue eyes hovering just above Grim’s left shoulder--but in the next moment, you drew on the last bit of magic that was barely there within you at the moment.

You hear the Seven attempt to warn you to not push yourself, but you were not sure if these entities were a danger to Grim and you. And so you eyed the phantom forming at Grim’s back, trying to decide whether the spirit was hostile or no--

The world around you begins to blur and spin violently, and you abruptly taste bile at the back of your throat. You distantly feel your knees buckle and slam against the wooden floors beneath you, and you choke, your senses suddenly frayed and too much for you. Frick, you knew that you were already at your limit with using magic, but you didn’t think that you had been toeing the line that closely. Just trying to bring your magic out for one of your simpler spells was apparently too much for you to handle right now. But...Grim…!

“Hey now, you aren’t lookin’ too good, kiddo!” You hear a voice call out to you.

You catch a glimpse of something round, glowing, and white out of the corner of your eye before you pitch forward. You can’t even move your shaky hands to stop your face from hitting the dusty ground, everything suddenly distant as darkness quickly takes over your sight.

~~

…

…

 _ **“Useless…! And the Royalty plan to turn this brat into a Weapon!?” Your wrists and ankles feel like they are**_ b u r n i n g _ **, as you listen to the guard rant to his co-worker outside of your ‘room’. The sound of chains rattling reaches your ears as you shift a little, wanting to block out the world around you as you wheeze quietly, head pounding and throat dry. “...The entire Kingdom will be slaughtered by that bastard Chernabog the moment this pathetic piece of shit steps onto the battlefield!”**_

Your eyes abruptly snap open and the gruff voice from the past is distant now. You shiver violently, wanting to sit up quickly, but you find that you couldn’t really move at the moment, your limbs feeling almost numb to your senses. All you could do now was stare up at a ceiling filled with holes, moonlight seeping through them. Apparently, it had stopped raining at some point.

Still, you try to move a little, and you hear the squeak of springs beneath you. Out of the corner of your eyes, you see a familiar stripe-pattern, and you feel torn cloth beneath your fingertips. Was this...the couch in front of the ceiling to floor windows in the lounge room of the dormitory? When did you end up on top of it? Who had moved you? Wha...what had happened?

{You pushed yourself past your limit, Dragon-Child.} Mistress Maleficent whispers softly, and there is some admonishment in her voice, but you could sense the great amount of concern through the bond. You felt the other beings in your head stir around restlessly, and you feel the worry, relief, and exasperation from them. Your eyes then widen abruptly when you recall why you had pushed yourself in the first place. Where was Grim right now? What about the ghosts?

“..G _uh_ -Gri.. ** _m_** …!” You try to call out, but your throat hurts badly, and you end up coughing weakly.

You are barely able to flinch when a cool sensation slips underneath the back of your throbbing head. You panic slightly as your head is lifted up, but you note how...gentle the touch is. Your gaze darts to the side, and your eyes connect with a slightly transparent one. You go still, taking in the sight of the ghost before you.

He was extremely thin, a cloak with a hood resting around his neck and shoulders, and a top hat on his head. His half-lidded, sunken onyx irises with cyan sclerae gazes at you with curiosity and a slight furrow between his eyes. And then you find cool glass being pressed against your dry lips. Dragging your hazy gaze downwards, you see that there was a glass of water in front of you. You want to slap the glass out of the ghost’s grasp; was he attempting to _poison_ you? **_Drug_** you--?

{It’s safe, Diamond.} Lord Jafar murmurs softly, and your spiraling thoughts go silent...and you relax instantly, exhaling shakily. After a slight pause, you shakily open your mouth a little, and the thin ghost beside you helps you drink the cool, soothing water.

“Slow sips, youngster. It’s a good thing that the plumbing still works in this building.” The ghost says with a sigh, smiling crookedly at you. “Don’t worry, the water is clean despite how the place looks right now.”

Once you’ve drinked at least half of the water in the glass, you try to turn your head to look past the ghost as he lays you back down fully onto the couch--but then your attention is drawn to something else when he speaks.

“My, my…!” Another echoey voice reaches your ears. With what strength you had at the moment, you slowly crane your head up a little to see a chubbier looking ghost hovering above your head. He was wearing a similar cloak and top hat, grinning down at you widely. “You gave the raccoon quite a scare when you suddenly decided to take a nap, young’un!”

...Raccoon?

“I-I wasn’t sc-scared!” And oh, the ghost was talking about Grim; you recognize the feline’s voice, and you’re relieved to hear it--but he is stuttering.

Is Grim alright? Is he _hurt_? You turn your gaze from the chubby ghost above to try and scan the room from where you are. But Grim reaches you first before you could spot him with your tired gaze. The cat-monster flies over from a place you couldn’t exactly see from where you were lying on the couch, giving the skinny ghost a wide berth before landing beside your head. You smile with relief when you find that there were no visible wounds on him, though he was shaking quite visibly. Was he scared? Of the ghosts?

“Naw, you were really freakin’ out! Yer’ fur was standin’ on end, you were hissin’, spittin’ blue fire, an’ everythin’!” The chubby ghost continues to chortle above you before he glances over at the skinny phantom. “Don’t ya’ agree, Mosstyn?”

“Boone, be nice to the raccoon.” The skinny ghost-- _Mosstyn, apparently_ \--sighs as he sets the half-filled glass of water down onto a small table that is now standing upright. Mr. Mosstyn still smiles though despite his light reprimanding to the chubby ghost, who was apparently named Boone. “But yer’ right. The raccoon was quite frantic when the youngster lost consciousness, hehe!”

“I’m n-not a raccoon!” Grim growls, gaining some confidence as he glares at the ghost while on all fours, the fur on the middle of his back standing on end, his lashing tail looking a little puffy. He huffs, smoke coming from his mouth as the flames on his ears flare brightly as he positions himself between you and the ghosts. “N-Now back off from me and my henchman, y-y-you floating marshmallows!”

“Now, now~! That’s not very nice! We’re trying to help out your friend, raccoon.” A third echoey voice entered the conversation. You peek past Grim’s body to see another chubby, but smaller ghost appear beside Mr. Mosstyn’s skinny shoulder. The smallest ghost grins widely as he waves one hand in greeting when he notices your gaze on him, a matching cloak swaying behind his back. He takes off his top hat and does a quick bow to greet you before placing the hat back onto his head; you idly note how all three ghosts have now given Grim and you some space. “Good evening, kiddo! It looks like you’ve gone and exhausted yourself by overusing your magic. Don’tcha know how dangerous that is?”

{Oh, the Matchstick definitely knows, but they’re too damn stubborn to stop.} Lord Hades says dryly, and you wince a little, sending an apology back through the bond.

You study the three ghosts for a brief moment, and you relax just a bit when you sense no hostility in the air. Heck, these ghosts look much friendly compared to what you usually deal with, vengeful spirits appear much more bloody and deranged. These ghosts were almost...cartoonish in a way, three pairs of wide charcoal irises over cyan sclerae gazing at you with interest. And so you decide that it wouldn't hurt to respond to the small ghost.

“I’m...aware...o-of the...dangers.” You shakily rasp, shutting your eyes briefly to keep the world from spinning around you again. “I j-just...didn’t realize...how close I...w-was...to my l-limit…”

“I see, I see!” The yet-to-be-named ghost says in understanding as you crack your eyes open again slowly. You see Mr. Boone and Mr. Mosstyn flank his sides, the largest ghost and the skinny ghost giving you friendly smiles as the shortest ghost continues to speak for them all. “As much as we’d like to have some new ghost pals, it’s far too soon for you to join us, kiddo. You shouldn’t be doing such dangerous things.”

“S..Sorry…” You murmur, glancing over at Grim who was still on all fours, back towards you as he hisses at the ghosts, smoke wisping out of his mouth. You then send a weary smile over at the ghosts. “I...th-thought you were gonna...hurt L-Lord...Grim…”

“The raccoon?” Mr. Boone inquires, looking briefly amused at how you addressed the cat-monster before his expression turned a bit apologetic. “I’ll admit--I wanted to poke some fun at ‘im, but I don’t think either of us really wanted to actually hurt ‘im...or you, young’un. Sorry if we seemed threatenin’ to ya’.”

“Well, a lot of youngsters get scared of us the moment they see us. A lot of people who used to live here freaked out when they found out about us and left.” Mr. Mosstyn pipes up, thin fingers playing with the fabric of the cloak around his neck.

The skinny ghost looks more thoughtful than offended as he then smiles at Grim and you. You felt a little guilty now. You hadn’t been scared of the ghosts, but you immediately labeled them as threats, assuming that they were hostile when they really weren’t. But these ghosts...they don’t blame you or Grim about both of your reactions. Instead, the three phantoms are rather used to it.

With a great amount of effort, you shakily lift a hand to smooth your palm down Grim's spine, watching as the cat-monster's shoulders lower ever so slowly, but he continues to glare at the ghosts; you hope he doesn’t set them on fire--or maybe he did while you were out. When you pat his back pointedly, he glances back at you, a furrow between his eyes. He seems to understand what you’re silently saying to him, huffing grumpily before he reluctantly backs down, still glaring at the ghosts with suspicion and mild fear.

“Th-That’s...a little mean...of them…” You reply weakly, and you shut your eyes again, swallowing harshly.

“...What do ya’ mean?” You think you hear the shortest ghost ask.

“You all s-seem like...some very n-nice ghosts…and I’m sorry...f-for being rude...as well...” You whisper softly, still trying to will down the nausea you were feeling before finally opening your eyes to see the ghosts looking back at you with wide, surprised eyes. Did you say something wrong? You hope not.

“...I don’t think we’ve properly introduced ourselves.” The smallest, chubby ghost finally says after shaking his head to be rid of his stunned state. He beams brightly at you, pointing at himself first and then his companions. “I’m Jasur. My big-boned friend right here is Boone, and the twig on my left is Mosstyn.”

“Pleased ta’ meet ya’.” Mr. Boone greets, waving at Grim and you with a broad grin on his chubby face.

“Good evening.” Mr. Mosstyn says softly, a small smile on his gaunt cheeks. The three ghosts then come a little closer, but they still stayed at a reasonable distance so Grim and you wouldn’t be uncomfortable. 

“I’m Yuu...and th-this is Lord Grim…” You murmur in response, petting Grim’s back soothingly when he started tensing up again when the ghosts had moved closer. “Sorry...for entering your p-place...without your permission, Mr. Jasur, Mr. Boone, M-Mr. Mosstyn…”

“Heehee~! You’re an odd and polite one, aren’t you, kiddo?” Mr. Jasur says cheerily in response, smiling at you brightly as he floats a little lower, ghostly tail barely brushing the dusty ground now. “And there’s no need to apologize. We’ve been wanting some visitors for a while now--and, while we do enjoy some pranks and hijinks, as your hosts, we should be the ones taking care of you.”

Mr. Jasur then flies up and perches himself on top of the backrest of the couch, Mr. Boone moves back over to the armrest, and Mr. Mosstyn picks up the glass of water again from the small table nearby. The skinny ghost helps lift your head again, and you take a few more slow sips of water, your throat feeling less dry now. You watch as Mr. Mosstyn takes the now empty glass of water with him, flying over towards the open kitchen, possibly planning to refill the cup.

“I’ll be back with more water, youngster.” Mr. Mosstyn says, confirming your assumptions. He glances over a thin shoulder to smile at you apologetically. “Sorry, but we don’t have any food-- _well, food that isn’t expired_ \--with us right now.”

“S’fine…” You manage to slur, exhaustion starting to settle over you again like a heavy blanket, and you blink sluggishly. “Head..master….Crowley’s comin’ back...soon…”

“Oh, that’s right!” Mr. Jasur pipes up, and you see him lean in slightly, excitement in his gaze. “We overheard your conversation with ol’ Headmaster Crowley--but how did you two end up in such a situation? And Night Raven College is allowing raccoons to be students now?”

“I told you a million times that I am **_not_** a raccoon!” Grim yells, floating a bit off the couch to glower at Mr. Jasur, who merely laughs brightly, the corners of his eyes creasing slightly with how wide he smiles. You have a feeling the ghosts are calling Grim a raccoon just to get on the cat-monster’s nerves at this point.

You were a bit too tired to really answer Mr. Jasur and Mr. Boone’s questions, so you absently listen to the two ghosts ask Grim about the events of today. You think Grim is sprinkling in a few lies and exaggerating a few things, but the ghosts seem fascinated anyways, and you smile a little before shutting your eyes once more, completely exhausted as you try to center yourself. You wonder how long you had been knocked out.

{I think about half an hour, Matchstick.} Lord Hades informs you helpfully, and you send your thanks through the bond to him. {And just so this doesn’t happen anytime soon, let’s just take it easy as much as possible for the rest of the night, okay, Matchstick?}

You’ll certainly try. You don’t think you can really move on your own at this point to be honest. Your stomach still churns uncomfortably from having only water in it, and you idly wonder if Headmaster Crowley will be back soon or n--you hear a door get pushed open. The following sound of a heavy plank of wood hitting the ground told you that it was the entrance door without hinges, and a certain someone had just pushed it open instead of moving it to the side this time.

“Mx. Yuu, Mr. Grim~! I’m _back_ ~!” You hear Headmaster Crowley greet cheerfully, shoes tapping rhythmically as he made his way further into the dusty dorm. “I have arrived with supper and much more, since I decided to be even more gracious to you both. And, Mx. Yuu, I left a letter for Mr. Sam to read. He probably won’t respond until tomorrow, so you’ll have to wait for his ans--...... _huh_? What is...going on here?”

{I dunno, Feathers.} Lord Hades snarks in your head. {What does it look like to you?}

{He certainly took his time to get back here.} Queen Grimhilde huffs as well.

You crack your eyes open slowly before blinking them rapidly. You see Headmaster Crowley standing near the center of the room, golden eyes wide and mouth parted open slightly with mild surprise. In his hands was a tray with a bowl of something covered by a lid, and, floating behind him, were multiple plastic bags that were filled with objects you couldn’t quite see from here.

“You **_birdbrain_**!” Grim hisses as he flies a little higher, crossing his arms in front of himself. “You didn’t tell my henchman and I about them!”

The cat-monster uncrosses his arms to gesture over at the two ghosts and then Mr. Mosstyn, who has returned from the kitchen. All three wave to greet the Headmaster, who blinks his eyes rapidly for a moment as he comes back to himself.

“A...A- _Ah_! It must have slipped my mind!” Headmaster Crowley finally says in response, a single golden talon tapping the side of the tray nervously as he shifted his weight a little. You start to wonder a little. Did the masked man really forget...or did just decide not to mention the ghosts in the dorm to Grim and you?

{Shall we just rip out that tongue of his? Then there would be no risk of him lying to us, cub.} Lord Scar rumbles in your head, and you send disapproval through your bond with him, which only makes him amused. 

“W- _Well_ , moving on--Mr. Grim, Mx. Yuu, I have brought supper,” Headmaster Crowley says cheerfully as he crosses the room. Grim’s mood takes a near 180° turn at the sound of food, and he quickly zooms forward, circling the masked man excitedly.

A whisper of magic goes through the air to reassemble a much larger table, and it ends up placed close to the couch you are lying on. On the newly fixed table, the Headmaster sets down the tray and the bags of-- _you now realize_ \--tuna cans and...groceries? You haven’t asked for the latter, yet apparently the Headmaster had brought them for you. Headmaster Crowley seems to notice your gaze focused on the bag of groceries, and he smiles brightly.

“Yes, Mx. Yuu, I, with my never-ending graciousness, had decided to buy some basic groceries for the week.” Headmaster Crowley says with pride, and all you can do is tiredly arch an eyebrow at him before settling with an amused smile. The masked man watches Grim find and search through the bag of tuna cans for a moment before turning his golden gaze over to you, lips pressing together for a long moment in thought before he decides to speak once more. “...By the way, Mx. Yuu, are you alright?”

{ ** _Now_** you ask?} Lord Hades comments dryly, and you shush him mentally.

“Thank you...for bringing the f-food…...and I guess...I overworked myself tonight.” You reply sheepishly, smiling tiredly at Headmaster Crowley, who slowly nods in understanding.

“Well...before you sleep, it’s best that you have something in your stomach first.” Headmaster Crowley says as he uncovers the bowl, placing the lid on the tray. Your nose is immediately hit with a wonderful smell of various spices and garlic. You try to lift your head as much as possible to see what the Headmaster had brought you, but you sadly couldn’t see anything with how you were lying down at the moment. Your exhaustion was momentarily forgotten because of the smell of food though.

You then abruptly find yourself being lifted up carefully, Mr. Jasur and Mr. Boone helping you sit up properly on the couch. The three ghosts wave at you, smiling brightly before they seem to vanish from view one by one, Mr. Mosstyn leaving the refilled glass of water behind on the tray first before leaving. You kinda want them to stick around, but it was apparent that the phantoms didn’t want to disturb Grim and you with questions and their presences while you were both eating now. You then watch as Headmaster Crowley brings the tray over, the masked man humming as he sets it down onto your lap.

You look down at the contents of the bowl, studying the thick, red-orange liquid filled with diced, yellow potatoes, orange baby carrots, bits of onion, and lentil. When you said you were fine with anything, you had been expecting something plain and simple. Oh jeez, just the smell alone was making your stomach start howling for it to be eaten; your mouth waters, but you silently work with Lord Jafar to try and detect anything wrong with the food first.

“It is sweet potato and lentil soup.” Headmaster Crowley informs you brightly. When you lift your gaze up from the bowl of soup, which Lord Jafar and you had decided was harmless, you see that his smile has surprisingly...dimmed a bit for some reason. “I...noticed that you look...a bit too thin, Mx. Yuu. This soup should help you gain a healthy amount of weight!”

...Did it look that obvious? Now that you think about it, you still haven’t found a mirror to see what you look like at the moment. You wonder if you look so crappy that even the usually unobservant Headmaster is doing so much for you.

“I, um...often forget to eat...sometimes.” You mumble as you shakily reach for the metal soup spoon beside the bowl. A few of the Seven grumble at your little lie.

Your eyebrows furrow with concentration when it takes a moment for your trembling fingers to grasp the spoon firmly before you finally succeed. You then dip the spoon into the bowl of soup, stirring the contents around slowly, basking in the warm steam rising up and brushing your cheeks and forehead. Once you lift a spoonful of soup up, you almost forget about blowing on it to cool the liquid since you were so **_hungry_** , but you stopped yourself in time.

After cooling the soup a little, you stick the spoon in your mouth, eyes widening slightly at the taste. The chunks of potatoes and the baby carrots were nice and soft, and apparently there were some diced tomatoes inside that had pretty much merged with the contents of the soup. You could taste garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, and some other spices you have never come across. All in all, this was **_amazing_**.

“It’s very delicious.” You say happily to Headmaster Crowley once you have finished your first spoonful of soup. Your words were an understatement, really. This is one of the best things you’ve had in a while; there were so many harmonious flavors in it! The warmth was also doing wonders for your throat. You decide to tell the Headmaster. “It’s one of the best things I’ve ever had.”

“Ah, our school cooks will be pleased to hear that!” Headmaster Crowley says cheerfully as he checks through the bag of groceries again, probably to make sure he had everything he intended to bring.

“Could you send them my thanks?” You ask tentatively, scooping up another spoonful of soup as you watch Grim already starting on his second can of tuna. You will have to warn the cat-monster in the near future to not eat too much; you don’t want him getting sick.

“Of course, Mx. Yuu.” The Headmaster replies with a smile, waving a hand through the air, magic surrounding the bag of groceries and lifting it up from the table. “They will be ecstatic to hear that you enjoyed their soup so much~!” 

You watch as the two bags of groceries then float over to the open kitchen with the help of magic. You have a feeling that there is no functioning refrigerator in there, so you wonder how the heck the groceries were going to stay unspoiled overnight. Headmaster Crowley seems to understand what you are thinking about as you take another spoonful of soup, speaking up.

“Do not worry, Mx. Yuu. The groceries won’t spoil since I’ve placed a little charm on them all.” The masked man says and he wiggles his taloned fingers beside his head with a smile, moonlight glinting off of the gold. “Hopefully the refrigerator will be fixed by then.”

You have a distinct feeling that you might have to fix the refrigerator-- _or replace it_ \--yourself; you might not have to pay for it, but you would probably have to deal with everything else on your own. You sigh softly for a moment before you blink, thinking back to what Headmaster Crowley was saying earlier.

“Sorry, but what were you saying about...Mr. Sam earlier…?” You ask softly, pausing in your eating to listen to Headmaster Crowley’s answer.

“Hm? _Ah_ , yes, Mr. Sam.” The masked man says in remembrance, head inclining slightly as he quickly gathered what had been on his mind when he came back to the dorm. “...Since he is asleep for now, I couldn’t quite talk to him about the job proposal.” That’s good. You didn’t really want to wake anyone up from their slumber just for the topic of you getting a job. “I did, however, leave a note for him to read. You will probably receive his answer tomorrow or the day after that, but I’m sure Mr. Sam will be quite thrilled to have you work with him.”

So...it seems everything depends on...Mr. Sam now. If you don’t get a job, what then? Would the school still provide for Grim and you, or will you be given a different job? Honestly, a lot of surprisingly good things have happened to you tonight--minus the chaos and pain. You were still a little worried about the unknowns though. For now, you can only wait and see what will happen.

“Thank you, Headmaster Crowley.” You reply with genuine gratitude as you dip your metal spoon into the soup, stirring it around briefly. You smile hesitantly at the Headmaster.

“Ah, my graciousness is certainly something to behold, isn’t it, Mx. Yuu?” The masked man says in return with a dramatic flare of his hands, a smile on his lips.

{Egoistic bastard.} Lord Hades grumbles in return as you merely nod in acknowledgement to the cheery Headmaster. 

‘You’re not exactly one to talk.’ You reply mentally with some amusement, and you sense outrage through the bond while the others cackle, chuckle, or hum.

{Aw, **_Matchstick_** , you wound me. I thought you were on _my_ side.} Lord Hades whines, and you hide your smile behind your spoon.

You take another spoonful of soup...and the dying nausea is starting to come back. You grimace a little to yourself as you pull the spoon away from your mouth as you look back down at the bowl on your lap. Was this...all you could manage to eat right now? You haven’t even finished a third of the soup yet.

{Try and finish as much as you can, but don’t force yourself, guppy. I’m sure we can save it for later.} Mistress Ursula reminds you, and hum softly with agreement. You’re a little disappointed, wanting to eat so much more since soup was delicious, but it would be a waste of food if you were to throw it all up later. After one last spoonful-- _your sixth, you think_ \--you have to set the metal spoon down beside the bowl, biting your lower lip as you gaze down at the soup forlornly.

“Sorry, I don’t think I can eat much more…but I’ll save it for tomorrow.” You then say, sending an apologetic look to the Headmaster as you then lift the tray up, cringing at how much it rattles in your grasp before you lean forward and set it down on the table in front of you.

You hear Grim let out a satisfied sigh, and you turn your head to see him place down his third empty can onto the table he was sitting on, a wide, fanged smile on his face. He then licks around his mouth for any bits he might have stuck to his maw. Apparently, the cat-monster was done eating as well. Grim yawns, showing off all of his canines, using his paw to rub at his face; he was looking a bit sleepy now that his stomach was full. The cat definitely reminds you of a child. You smile a little at the sight before turning your attention back to the Headmaster.

Headmaster Crowley eyes the still slightly full bowl of soup for a long moment, and you couldn’t quite read his expression this time. His face was blank, looking deep in thought as he gazes at the remains of your supper for a moment. The masked man then sighs softly before placing the lid back over the bowl, sending you a smile that looks a little lopsided and his glowing eyes are filled with...concern? His face is starting to go out of focus though, your eyes drooping and head nodding a few times. Despite not eating much, the warm meal, the overuse of magic, the lack of hostility in the air, and the events of today are really weighing down on you now.

“I’ll charm it to keep it from going spoiled.” You hear Headmaster Crowley say instead of questioning you about the small amount of soup you were able to eat; you were grateful for that, not having the energy to deal with anything else at the moment. The masked man then silently waves his hand, a glow of magic surrounding the bowl of soup before it drifts off towards the open kitchen, leaving the tray and spoon on the table.

“...Th’nk...y..ou…” You manage to murmur, head dipping down further as your eyes start to slide shut. You don’t want to rest now, not until you’ve made sure everything was safe and Grim was alright--but then it feels like it’s taking all of your energy to keep your eyes open...

“...Go to sleep, Mx. Yuu.” You hear Headmaster Crowley murmur, and you’re a bit startled by how close he sounds now, but you still can’t keep your eyes open to take note of where he was--it scares you a little. Your head then sways to the left, and something warm cups your cheek before your entire body could fall onto its side on the couch. “You’ve had quite the day, I’m sure, so rest now. Everything will be alright…”

A part of you wants to shy away from the warm touch on your cheek...but it was gentle, and you end up relaxing instead. You were slowly starting to trust Headmaster Crowley, and isn’t that a surprise? You were beginning to trust so many people in one night in a world that wasn’t yours. You want to say your thanks to the Headmaster again, but all that comes out is a slurred mess of words. You feel kinda embarrassed.

{ _Sleep_ , Dragon-Child.} Mistress Maleficent says softly. {We will still be here with you.}

Apparently all it took for you to finally fall asleep was Mistress Maleficent’s soothing voice and the other Seven’s calmly presences in your head. You exhale shakily one last time before blissful darkness is all you end up knowing, exhaustion finally winning.

~~

**_…_ **

**_…_ **

**_…_ **

**_...You hear something dripping._ **

**_Your eyes open--or you think they open, but all you see is nothing, darkness surrounding you no matter where you looked. You step forward, listening to something sloshing around you, and it felt like you were knee-deep in some sort of liquid; it felt slightly thicker than water. You open your mouth and try to say something, yet nothing comes out. You try to seek out the bonds with the Seven--......a chill goes through you._ **

**_You feel nothing from them--not even a hint of their presence. A cold feeling settles over you and you shiver._ **

**_“_** _ Dere..ffus...evah I...sa reff..us dna…...etah ym leef...lliw ouy...noos. _ **_”_ **

**_You jerk your head to the direction of where you heard the faint whisper, stretching out your senses, shoulders tight with tension. You couldn’t sense anything, making you feel unnerved. Your right palm then stings sharply, and you want to look down at it, but it was so dark, you couldn’t even see yourself. Perhaps you really were blind? But how did that happen? You pat your coat down for any potions, yet you feel nothing._ **

**_“_** _ Dereffus evah I sa reffus dna etah ym leef lliw ouy noos. _ **_”_ **

**_The whisper you had heard earlier is much more audible now, yet you can’t make out what had been said. You glance around at the suffocating darkness to try and get a glimpse of something--anything. Your breath comes out in harsh pants, and you try to say something again...but there was nothing. The sound of something dripping is joined by another, similar noise. It was starting to sound a bit like rain now with how rapid the droplets were falling._ **

**_You flinch when something cold drips onto your head, and you try to walk in a direction away from the voice--and you’re alarmed when you note that the not-water surrounding you is now at your waist. When had that happened...!? You still cannot feel your bonds with the Seven._ **

**_“_** _Dereffus evah I sa reffus dna etah ym leef lliw ouy noos!_ **_” The words are shouted, the voice gravelly and dark. You still cannot understand what the person, or being, had said. Despite all of the languages you know and are still learning, you cannot decipher a hint of the repeated sentence…!_ **

**_A blast of cold air suddenly rushes past you, and you flinch, arms raising as you squeeze your eyes shut for a moment. When the gust of wind dies down, you snap your eyes open--and you’re shocked by the sudden, faint glow of sickly, yellow light. Your gaze immediately goes down to the liquid surrounding you. Was this......_** ink ** _? You stare, confused and scared as the black liquid swirls around you, looking almost like oil with how it_** clings ** _to your pants and coat. You then lower your arms slightly, raising your gaze to see the source of the ligh--..._**

**_…_ **

**_…_ **

**_...Crescent moon eyes glare at you from the darkness, and you are frozen into place. You can’t move...can’t_** blink ** _...can’t_** breathe ** _...can’t......_** think ** _..._**

 ** _“_** _DEREFFUS EVAH I SA REFFUS DNA ETAH YM LEEF LLIW OUY NOOS!_ ** _” The words are roared, and then your right palm feels like it’s being_** s t a b b e d ** _by a red-hot piece of meta--!_**

You inhale sharply, eyes snapping open...to gaze up at an unfamiliar ceiling. You feel soaked in sweat, and you’re breathing heavily. You were panicking, alert, and ready to fight. You’re prepared to use magic to--

{ _Shhh_...you’re alright, Dragon-Child.} You hear someone whisper. Was that...Mistress Maleficent? You feel thin, cool fingers brush over your forehead as you continue to gaze up at the ceiling above. {Yes, it is me. It is **_us_**. We are here.}

{All of us are here with you, little hedgehog.} The Queen of Hearts murmurs softly as you grip the blanket-- _When was it placed on you?_ \--tightly, fingers starting to hurt a little.

{Calm your breathing, Diamond.} Lord Jafar hums, and you feel a light nudge of hypnotism to stop your heart from leaping out your chest, and your grip slackens on the blanket draped over your body.

{Yes, breathe, Vessel. In...and out-- _slowly_ , just like we have practice.} Queen Grimhilde whispers. You remember, and so you inhale deeply...before letting it out slowly, and then you repeat the process.

{You aren’t in any danger right now, guppy.} Mistress Ursula coos softly while you try to detect anything hostile nearby.

{Whatever you saw, it was not real, cub.} Lord Scar rumbles--and **_oh_** , it had been a dream? You hate it when your dreams feel so _real_. You continue to stare up at the ceiling above you, pale green wallpaper peeling off of it as you center yourself ever so slowly.

{Come back to us, kiddo.} Lord Hades says encouragingly. You almost want to **_sob_** with relief, but no tears are shed and you bite your lip harshly, eyes hot as you squeeze them shut. Your erratic breathing is now much calmer, and your brain catches up with where you were right now.

There was no sound of snapping branches or the angry shouts and screeches of enemies. It wasn’t freezing, and you didn’t feel as hungry as you usually are. That’s right, you were...in a different world right now. There is no war...there is no Chernabog…...everything was similar, yet so different here--a loud snore reaches your ears, and you blink your eyes rapidly in surprise.

Shifting a little to turn your head, you briefly note the pillow-- _huh, you haven’t lied on one for a while_ \--pressing against your cheek now as you stare at the source of the snoring. Grim, sprawled out on his back, was snoring loudly as he laid beside your head on his own pillow, chest rising and falling slowly. A part of you settles further at the sight of Grim snoring so loudly, and you smile.

That expression soon fades though as you look past Grim to see a bit more of your unfamiliar surroundings. Were you still in the dorm? Grunting, you use an elbow to prop yourself up a little, pleased and surprised to find that you could move now--which was a bit unexpected. Overusing your magic usually left you immobile for about half a day or more... 

You blink when you sense a tingle of magic on your body that wasn’t yours as you sat up further. It was faint, but you recognized the magic as...Headmaster Crowley’s?

{Hmm, a simple, yet powerful spell of rejuvenation.} Mistress Ursula observes. {Not only have you recovered faster than usual, you have regained more than half of your magic now.}

You raise your left hand, absently noting you were still in your ceremonial robes, before watching blue sparks pop softly around your fingertips. You feel no fatigue from the simple display of magic, and you smile a little with relief; maybe you could get started on cleaning sooner than later. And then...you gaze down at your bandaged, right hand resting on your lap. Your dream-- ~~ _nightmare_~~ \--comes back to you a little, and you shiver.

You’re tempted to unravel the white strips to check on the wound that should be healed now…...but then you stop yourself, shaking your head a little. First, you look at your surroundings. You find that you were on a bed, the blanket draped over you slipping down to your lap. You grimace a little when you shift, feeling dried blood crack on your skin as you tug at your robes to keep it from sticking to you.

{Of _course_ ,} Queen Grimhilde then says with scorn after clicking her tongue with disapproval. {That Crowley hasn’t brought you a clean change of clothes.}

‘Well, I am grateful for the food and shelter at least.’ You reply internally with weary amusement. ‘And I don’t think I would like to find myself in a different set of clothes after waking up--even if they are clean.’

You slide backwards a little so your back could lean against-- _whoops_! You wince a little, noting the little lamp attached to the center of the headboard. You shift a bit further to the side to avoid the lamp before finally leaning backwards against the headboard.

You take in the room around you. Like the lounge room, everything was covered with a layer of dust, though a small difference was the wallpaper. It was a pale cream color, some parts of it peeling away. Glancing to the right, you observe the two large windows on the right side of the bed, long, green drapes drawn to the side, but you couldn’t quite see through the glass.

When you looked a little closer, you could see that the windows were boarded up outside. Through the little spaces between the wooden boards, you could see that the sky outside was a little dark but it seemed to be slowly transitioning from black to a brightening, navy blue. Was it almost morning? You don’t really feel like you’ve slept for long to be honest--but some sleep is better than nothing, you guess...even if you’re haunted by nightmares.

Your gaze then goes to the...fireplace-- _Wow, there was another fireplace?_ \--between the windows and the fogged up mirror above it. There were two unlit candles above the soot-covered fireplace, one of them fallen on its side. On the right of the fogged-up mirror was a broken cuckoo clock, barely hanging onto the wall it was attached to, and on the left was a small, empty, framed portrait, slightly shadowed by the peeling wallpaper above it.

Gaze moving further to the right, you see an easel and a blank portrait partially covered by a dark sheet of cloth. Lowering your gaze, you see that there was a fallen hat and coat stand on the wooden floorboards, the glossy wood dull from the dust covering it; you could also see a corner of a large rug laid out beneath the bed. Your eyes then go back up to the wall the headboard is against, and you see a little shelf with a few boxes and jars on it; you couldn’t exactly see what was within the glass jar, so you decide to observe the rest of the room for now.

Leaning against the window furthest from you was another empty, framed portrait, except it was larger. There was a chair with a large, gray sheet draped over it near the center of the room, and it looked kinda spooky with how it was slightly facing the bed. Leaning a little to get a better look, you see that there was a broken mini table and a tiny stool behind the large chair. Behind all of that and placed against the opposite wall was a large closet-cabinet, one door swung open to the side and barely hanging on its hinges, revealing that it was empty.

You finally turn your gaze to the left and see the door leading out of the room; it was closed at the moment, so you couldn’t see out of place you were in. You incline your head with curiosity at the upside-down, wooden bucket near the door, already thinking about using it as one of your cleaning supplies later.

Pushed far into the corner on the left side of the door, was a desk, and, lowering your gaze slightly to look, you saw that there was a fallen, wooden chair missing a leg in front of it. Finally, next to your bed was a little nightstand, one of the drawers pulled open and empty. All in all...the room was quite spacious, and you wondered how you got here. You flush a little with embarrassment. You most likely got carried to this room.

Exhaling heavily, you bundle the blankets up and into your lap, looking over at the still-snoozing Grim. You smile softly before a thought comes to you. You place a simple warming spell on the blanket before wrapping it around Grim, surrounding him with heat. It does feel rather chilly right now, and your smile widens a little when the cat-monster purrs and burrows into the heated blanket.

You then silently swing your legs over the side of the bed, shivering when your bandaged feet met the cold floorboards. You lightly push away from the bed, swaying for a moment before quickly finding your bearings. You curl and uncurl your fingers, shaking out your legs and stretching your arms out. Damn...Headmaster Crowley’s rejuvenating spell is really something, huh? There’s still a faint throb in your body, but the pain is almost non-existent now…

{That will not be an excuse for you to do anything strenuous today, Vessel.} Queen Grimhilde scolds you, and you smile lopsidedly to yourself before nodding with understanding. 

Humming to yourself, you then walk around the bed towards the door, carefully walking around creaky floorboards and fallen furniture. You eventually make it to the door, your bandaged, right wrapping around the cool, brass door knob. With a twist of your wrist and a slight tug, the door opens with a soft creak. You quietly slip out of the room and shut the door behind you, staring at the large ceiling-to-floor window in front of you. You blink before you look both ways down the hallway you were now in. You see many more boarded-up windows on the side across from you; there were other doors on your side of the hallway.

Was this...the second floor? Glancing to the right, you see a staircase, so you shuffle over a little to peer down the steps. Apparently you assumptions were correct about being on the second floor, since you see the lounge room down below. Turning your gaze away from the staircase and back down the hallway. Stretching your magic out a little, you sensed one of the ghosts nearby. Hesitating for a moment, you finally decide to head in the direction of the ghost. The ghosts proved to be kind and caring, so now would be a good time to thank them properly when you weren’t slurring words. You’ll make sure to find the other two later on.

It takes a few minutes as you walk down the hallway, taking in the small details here and there with curiosity. You pause at the end of the hallway, glancing to the left to see that it continued on with more doors on one wall while there were windows on the opposite side. You then turn to the right and see a wooden door, creaking on its hinges as a soft breeze blew by. You sensed that the ghost you detected was just outside; was this a door to a balcony?

Pushing the slightly ajar door, crisp, cool air brushes your cheeks and you blink as your eyes adjust to the slightly brighter lighting outside. Taking in the sight before you, you realized that it wasn’t a balcony, but a veranda. The area was spacious, tiled floor littered with overturned tables and chairs, and the iron railing surrounding the place was missing at some points.

There was also an extended, wooden roof above you that was filled with multiple holes. The planks of wood were old and falling apart, the green ivy growing on the main building snaking its way across the tiled ground of the veranda and up the creaking supports of the extended roof. Walking underneath the wooden roof covering half of the veranda, you observe everything with a curious eye.

You gaze past the roof through the holes, and you catch a glimpse of the cloudless, smoke-free sky. The sky was now edging closer to a deep sapphire color, the sun having yet to reveal itself over the horizon, which allowed a few stars to remain before they would eventually disappear from sight. You hope to see the stars again soon. You then lower your gaze back down to the surrounding railings that were furthest from you, where a certain, thin ghost was ‘sitting’.

“U-Um...good morning…Mr. Mosstyn.” You greet softly, playing with the sleeves of your robes for a moment.

Mr. Mosstyn notices your presence the moment your eyes land on his thin form, and he glances over his shoulder to look at you. His expression seems to warm slightly at your words, a soft breeze sending dry leaves tumbling over the veranda.

“Hmm? Well, you’re certainly up early, youngster--especially with the night you had last night. And a good morning to you as well.” Mr. Mosstyn says with a smile. You’re unsure if you’re intruding for a moment, wondering if it was a bad idea to seek the ghost out, but then he uses his left hand to wave you over. Ducking your head shyly for a moment, you quickly make your way across the veranda, walking around chairs and stepping over vines of ivy to finally come to a stop next to Mr. Mosstyn, who was watching you with a warm smile still.

“Ah, well...I think Headmaster Crowley was gracious enough to help speed up my recovery with his own magic.” You reply with a nervous smile, eyeing the rickety railing in front of you before deciding to not risk putting any weight on it.

“Still...from what I heard from the cat, it seems like you would’ve needed more sleep.” Mr. Mosstyn says, and he inclines his head at you, gaze slightly searching. You resist the urge to squirm around, smiling weakly in response before looking down at your hands for a brief moment, playing with the bandages wrapped around your right hand.

“...I want to thank you again for your help last night, Mr. Mosstyn.” You say softly before looking back up at the ghost.

“Oh, not a problem, youngster.” Mr. Mosstyn says, waving a hand through the air. “It’s just as Jas’ said--despite our love for pranks and hijinks, we should still be good hosts to those who visit us. Plus, I’m sure you deserve the hospitality. I ‘eard from the Headmaster-- _before he left for the night_ \--that you don’t have anywhere to stay at the moment, so you will be livin’ here for now.”

“U-Uh, yeah...that’s correct.” You reply, smiling lopsidedly at the skinny ghost. It doesn’t sound like Mr. Mosstyn knows about you being from a completely different world, but he understands that you’re pretty much homeless right now. “My home situation is a bit...complicated at the moment.”

You scuff your bare foot over the tiled ground below you as you gaze out at the expanse in front of you. You could see the stone path you took last night, watching as it slowly leads back to the main school building in the far distance. The school looks like a castle from here, surrounded by a sea of healthy, green grass. It was so peaceful compared to what you were used to. You almost expected a molten boulder of destruction to suddenly fall from the sky and strike the scho--you shake your head mentally. You were no longer on the battlefield, so it wouldn’t help you to think these sorts of thoughts...

“...Tell me, youngster-- _if you’re willin’ that is_ …” Mr. Mosstyn sounds tentative all of a sudden. When you look over at him, you see a worried look appearing in his cyan eyes as he gazes down at the ground contemplatively. “...Are you…...missin’ home right now?”

There seems to be an underlying question in his words, and there is something in his gaze that looks pained. He sounded like he wanted to ask something else, but he refrained at the last second. And why is he...looking at you like this? ‘Are you missin’ home’? What did he mean? You open your mouth...and then you close it. 

_Did_ you miss home? Did you miss...the Kingdom of Fantasia? Not really, to be brutally honest. You didn’t really have anything good to say about your homeland--besides the rare kind people you met along the way. Also...could you even call the Kingdom home? You suddenly feel very self-conscious of the bandaged wounds or scars that were visible at the moment, and you adjust the collar of the ceremonial robes to hide your neck a little and you shuffle your feet closer together. You bite your lower lip, trying to think of what to say in resp--

“You don’t have to say anythin’,” Mr. Mosstyn then says softly. When you jerk your head up to look at him, he doesn’t look offended at all, gaze still slightly pained, yet gentle and warm. “You just...look like you’ve gone and struggled through a lot of things a youngster your age shouldn’t.”

{An understatement.} Lord Hades says, his voice lacking the usual sass as you sense a tinge of anger from him and the others through the bonds. You can only swallow as you look at Mr. Mosstyn, whose gaze softens.

“Well...I also want you to know that us ghosts don’t exactly need sleep.” The thin ghost then says softly. When you incline your head with confusion, he smiles crookedly at you, half-lidded gaze gentle as he elaborates. “Jasur, Boone, and I can keep you company if you need it, youngster...and we’ll listen to what you want to talk about. Any secrets would be kept safe with us. ‘Dead men tell no tales’, right? Hehe...”

…

…

…You are surprised, unused to so much kindness from so many strangers within a short amount of time. First was Mr. Horns...then Headmaster Crowley...and now Mr. Jasur, Mr. Boone, and Mr. Mosstyn. You fear that the other shoe might drop all of sudden, but for now...all you feel is…

… _Warmth_.

{How very nice of him.} The Queen of Hearts hums, words genuine and bright. The warm feeling grows in your chest as you look at Mr. Mosstyn with wide eyes.

“...Thank you, Mr. Mosstyn.” You finally say, smiling at the thin ghost tentatively. You don’t think you will be opening up on your past anytime soon, but the kindness Mr. Mosstyn is extending to you still means a lot to you.

“Once again, no thanks necessary, youngster.” Mr. Mosstyn says with a soft laugh, smiling softly. The thin ghost then perks up slightly and turns his gaze over to the side, staring at the horizon. “ _Ah_! The sun is finally rising. This is one of my favorite things to see everyday.”

And it certainly was a sight to behold. The golden light of the sun made the horizon almost look like emerald crystals, the blades of grass glinting slightly because of the dew left behind from the rainshower last night. The sky was now turning a lighter shade of blue, white, fluffy clouds dotting the expanse here and there. The castle-like school looked less ominous now that the sun had risen. This was your first sunrise in this new world…

...and it was **_beautiful_**.

~~

With Mr. Mosstyn at your side, you find the other two ghosts a few minutes after the sunrise, and you say your ‘Thank you’s to them. Mr. Jasur and Mr. Boone, much like Mr. Mosstyn, accept your gratitude but tell you that there was no need for it. The three ghosts join you as you make your way down to the hall, and you stop briefly at the door near the room you had stayed in, pushing the slightly ajar door.

Peering through the slight darkness, you find that it was a bathroom with a tub, a large mirror, three sinks, and a toilet. Pushing the door open further, you eye the tub before glancing down at your robes for a thoughtful moment. They were really starting to smell unpleasant with all the dry blood that was staining them. Perhaps you could wash your clothes? But what would you wear then…?

“Thinkin’ about gettin’ a bath, young’un?” You hear Mr. Boone say, and you startle slightly, feeling a little ashamed for forgetting about the ghosts’ prescenses.

“I guess so.” You reply with a nervous laugh, your smile weak. “But I don’t...exactly have other clothes to change into. The robes I’m wearing now are...a bit dirty.”

“Ah! I think I have some clothes for you to wear! They might be a bit dusty, but they should be in good shape still! No moths have gotten to them yet.” Mr. Jasur suddenly says. You blink, eyes wide as the shortest ghost quickly floats through the mirror above the sinks, popping his head back in to smile and wink at you. “I’ll be right back~!”

Mr. Jasur eventually comes back through the bathroom door to give you a simple, navy-blue overcoat, a white undershirt, black slacks, blue socks, and black oxfords. You felt Queen Grimhilde’s relief as you rid the clothes of dust with a quick shake. While the clothes were a bit simple for her standards, they didn’t look like they belonged to a penniless person. The three ghosts quickly leave the bathroom to give you privacy to wash up a little and change your clothes.

~~

When you had finally got a good look at yourself in the mirror, you almost thought an undead was gazing at you. Grimacing, you poke at the half-circles beneath your eyes, gazing at the slight hollowness of your cheeks and the thin scars around your throat. When you eventually striped out of the ceremonial robes and the rest of the clothes, you also got a glimpse of your back, exhaling shakily at the sight. You feel bad that Mr. Horns had to see your back. He must’ve been uncomfortable.

There weren’t any towels or soap, so you couldn’t actually take a bath. Using your hand, you merely wash away any remains of blood on your skin with some warm water you heated up with a few blue flames, sitting on the edge of the tub. You couldn’t wait to have an actual bath. It was a little disgusting, but you don’t think you’ve had a proper bath in weeks.

You also...keep your right hand bandaged. You’re not sure **_why_** you decided to do that, but your stomach had twisted into uncomfortable knots at the thought for some reason. You did undo the bandages on your feet though, relieved to see that they were completely healed.

Once you were...clean enough and dry, you dressed yourself in the clothes Mr. Jasur had brought. They were a bit big on you, but you could pretty much fit the clothes in the end, lightly tapping your shoes on the tiled ground beneath you. You then filled the tub with cold water and plugged it, shoving the bloody ceremonial robes inside to let them soak. You would have to try and get the stains out later on when you had the chance.

When you finally stepped out of the bathroom, you blushed when Mr. Mosstyn smiles softly while Mr. Jasur and Mr. Boone whistled with appreciation, more teasing than anything. Fighting down the blush, you decide to pose mockingly for the three ghosts, and you all end up laughing at the display. You feel the Seven send warm emotions through the bond to you, and you smile a little wider.

“You definitely wear my clothes **_way_** better than I had.” Mr. Jasur says with amusement. You blink with surprise before quickly telling the ghost that you would return them soon, but he laughed, waving a chubby hand through the air as he looked at you with amusement. “Haha, you can keep them, kiddo! They’re yours now.”

You couldn’t quite stop thanking the ghost until your stomach growled. You flushed with embarrassment, and then Mr. Jasur, Mr. Boone, and Mr. Mosstyn started ushering you downstairs to eat breakfast. Your stomach gives another embarrassing growl.

“Wait, what about Grim...?” You try to ask as you pass by the closed door of where the cat-monster was sleeping.

“Oh, we’ll go and wake the raccoon up, _won’t we_ , Moss’~?” Mr. Boone offers, and you see the mischievous look in his eyes. The thin ghost’s half-lidded gaze lights up a little, and Mr. Mosstyn’s smile widens a little.

“We’ll make sure he comes down for breakfast, youngster.” Mr. Mosstyn says before he fazes through the wall with the chubby ghost, and you can’t help but feel a little bad for Grim.

Walking down the staircase with Mr. Jasur at your side, you pass by the lounge room, and you grimace at the work ahead of you. Some things looked fixable, but various other objects seem in need of a replacement. Well...you’ll take care of it all one step at a time.

You’re in the kitchen, going through the bags of groceries on the countertop when you hear a loud yelp and a thumping sound above you. You smile with mild amusement when you hear Mr. Boone and Mr. Mosstyn’s laughter and Grim’s indignant yowling. You start working on making a small breakfast for Grim and yourself.

~~ 

During breakfast, you end up offering to help Grim with his punishment, much to a few of the Seven’s dismay. They want you off of your feet, relaxing and recovering, but dreams you had last night have made you a bit restless. You wanted to do something instead of waiting around, and so you decided to go with Grim. You told the Seven that you would try not to do anything strenuous.

Grim had to do various cleaning jobs around the main campus, so you suggested that the both of you start with the place closest to the dorm, which was the Main Street. Once breakfast was done, Grim and you went on your way to Main Street, where a few cleaning supplies should be there for the both of you to use. Before you left, you waved goodbye at the three ghosts while Grim merely huffed.

Along the way to Main Street, Grim had grumbled and ranted, and you indulged the cat-monster by listening to his words, occasionally responding and adding to the conversation. It took a couple of minutes, and when Grim and you arrived...the Main Street had something you did not expect to see……which were statues...

…of the _Seven_.

{Whoever carved this statue has gotten my facial features wrong.} Queen Grimhilde criticizes when you stop in front of the Evil Queen’s statue for a brief moment, grip loose on the broom that was now in your hands.

{Is that _really_ **_all_** you’re thinkin’ about now, Hildey?} Lord Hades asks dryly as you begin to sweep away the dead leaves along the stone path. When you glance over your shoulder, you see Grim, floating up high, getting to work with a bucket of cleaning solution and a rag to start wiping down Mistress Ursula’s stone face.

{I’m amazed to see that none of these statues are vandalized or destroyed.} Lord Scar says with a slight rumble to his voice. You imagine his tail swaying around lazily as you turn your attention back to sweeping around Mistress Maleficent’s statue. {...And we are not depicted as defeated or humiliated for once.} 

You agree with Lord Scar. The Seven’s statues have all been destroyed since they don’t exactly have...the best reputations in the Kingdom of Fantasia. These statues were perfectly maintained, and each figure was standing proudly, power in their postures, chins held high with victory. It was...strange to see. Was this another thing that made this world different from your own? You glance back at the statues, blinking when you noted something engraved at the foot of the stone figures. You’re about to read what was there, but then--

“Hey, henchman, who’s this snobby-lookin’ lady?” You hear Grim ask suddenly, and you almost choke, stifling the startled laugh that wants to escape your mouth. You turn around and see that Grim has paused in his wiping to look at the statue of the Queen of Hearts, a faint frown on his face as he inclined his head slightly.

{My, **_my_** ~!} The Queen of Hearts purrs with a deceptively calm voice. You imagine her face growing redder with anger and irritation by the second. { ** _What_** did this rodent just say? Does he wish to be **_decapitated_**?}

You smile nervously and try to placate the Queen of Hearts by sending calm emotions through the bond before turning your attention to Grim. You’re opening your mouth, about to say something to the cat-monster--but then you sense a presence behind you.

“You don’t know about the Queen of Hearts?” A new voice says, and you turn around abruptly, not wanting your back to face this newcomer. When you turn around fully, you then blink in mild surprise at the person who had spoken.

...You gaze at the student before you: a smiling, ginger-haired young man. He was taller than you, ginger hair short and curling upwards slightly, a few locks framing his sharp face and falling between his eyes. His ember-like irises are bright, and there was a red heart drawn over his left eye--was it a tattoo? Your attention is then moved to his school uniform, which was pretty much the same as Mr. Horns’ except the color theme of the vest and the armband on his left bicep was red. Queen Grimhilde fumes at how the student’s striped tie was loose and the top button was popped open.

{ _Honestly_ …! It is **_not_** that difficult to straighten your tie and button up your dress shirt!} The Evil Queen hisses, but you are focused on other things at the moment.

You have...a slightly bad feeling about this ginger-head. Not in the sense that this person was seeking to kill you or something else along those lines. No, this young man seems like a person who would cause some headache-inducing trouble despite the cheery smile on his face. There was a look in his eyes…...something...mischievous.

‘ _Ah_...’ You thought, as you came to some sort of conclusion, the Seven greatly amused by your next few thoughts. ‘...More trouble has appeared.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The three ghosts' names are inspired by the Disney movie Lonesome Ghosts (1937), where three of the main ghosts are named Jasper, Boo, and Moss. :)
> 
> Here's some s'mores before you guys leave. :)


	4. Statues, Chandeliers, and Crystals.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuu: *Stares at the chaos in front of them and wonders if they had accidentally angered some sort of deity in a previous life.* :/
> 
> Ace, Deuce, and Grim: *Unintelligible screaming at each other.* >:O >:V >:U

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. Mid-terms are torture, and I apologize for not updating like usual. To be honest, I don't think I'll be able to update as often even when the mid-terms are done. :(
> 
> But thank you all for your support and your patience! I don't deserve all of you! ;u;
> 
> I hope you enjoy the chapter! And...there will be a something extra added to this chapter that wasn't in the Prologue. Have fun! I'll try to get the next chapter out soon. :'D
> 
> Oh, and as always, here are some virtual cookies for you guys to enjoy!  
> ( —3^ )~<3

_Man_ , the entrance ceremony was hella crazy, Ace Trappola thought, yawning into his palm before stretching his arms over his head. The ginger-haired first-year sighed as he then dropped his hands to his sides, walking down the stone path that led to the school. It was pretty hilarious at first to watch everyone run around like headless chickens, but then he got soaked. Last night, he almost expected to wake up with a cold since he was wearing wet robes for so long, but that didn’t happen in the end. And now, here he was, walking over to the main school building before class began.

Ugh, Ace was kinda dreading the years ahead in the Heartslabyul dorm. The dorm leader--what was the shorty’s name again? _Ryan_? **_Ric_** \-- _nope_ , it was Riddle. Riddle Rosehearts. Anyways, Ace felt like the dorm leader would be a pain in the ass in the near future; the redhead just seems way too strict! When all of the first-years had arrived at the dorm, the dorm leader had gone over an unreasonable amount of ground rules. And what the hell was with the chores? ‘ _Paint the flamingos pink_ ’?

Ace sighed as he shoved his left hand deep into his pants pockets, spotting the Main Street just up ahead before he rubbed at his face with his right, wishing he could’ve slept in a little--hm? Ace slowed to a stop and peered through the fingers of his right hand before dropping his hand entirely from his face when he caught sight of a certain cat-monster and...a human. Ace felt some annoyance at the sight of the damn cat, remembering all of the shots of blue flames he nearly got hit with last night. Sure, the chaos was fun to witness, but almost getting his ass and face burned wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience. And speaking of last night, why the hell was this cat still here? Shouldn’t he have been kicked off the school grounds by now...?

The ginger-haired freshman then abruptly remembered what that dorm-less kid had said to the Headmaster and groaned internally. Frick, was the feline really going to be allowed into this school because of what the other teen had said? The stranger wasn’t even planning to enroll into the school! Ace frowned slightly as he watched the cat grumble as he wiped down the statue of the Sea Witch.

The ginger-haired teen was at least amused to see the cat doing some manual labor. Maybe the cat wasn’t going to be a student. Perhaps the monster was just being forced into labor for wrecking the school? Ace hoped so. Also...who was that person in the navy-blue overcoat? Ace turned his amber gaze over to the teen that was sweeping dead leaves out of the path.

They...look like death warmed over, dark smudges beneath their half-lidded gaze, cheeks slightly sunken in, skin pale, and their hair slightly unkempt though it looked like they had attempted to make it look neat. So yeah--this person looked like _shit_ , yet they were awake and moving around, sweeping the Main Street while the cat wiped down the Great Sevens’ statues behind them.

They were shorter than Ace, looking almost around Rosehearts’ height, and-- _besides the overcoat with gold-colored buttons_ \--they were dressed in a white dress shirt, black slacks, blue socks, and onyx oxfords. That definitely wasn't the school uniform. Were they a part of the school’s staff, making sure the cat did his punishment? They looked young enough to be around Ace’s age or so--... _huh_. Their right hand is bandaged...

Something nagged Ace as he studied the other teen’s bandaged hand, their thin fingers loosely wrapped around the broom they were using. Who had Ace seen last night with a bandaged hand…? The ginger-haired freshman then blinks...and blinks again. Oh. **_Oh_**. This was the dorm-less student from last night, who had subtly talked back to the Headmaster, stating that they ended up in the school on accident. But...why were they still here then?

Were they being punished too? That chaos last night was...technically not their fault, since they pretty much got dragged into it because of the cat and, apparently, the Headmaster. So what was the stranger here for? Did they do something wrong? Ace didn’t have much time to think about the stranger for much longer since the cat suddenly spoke up.

“Hey, henchman, who’s this snobby-lookin’ lady?” Ace heard the cat ask when he got close enough to one of the statues.

What the hell? How the hell could the cat not know about the Queen of Hearts? The ginger-haired freshman wanted to snort, but he held it in, watching as the teen cleaning with the cat turned from where they were sweeping. There was an amused smile on their lips, opening their mouth to probably explain; well, at least one of them seemed to know who the Queen was.

“You don’t know about the Queen of Hearts?” Ace decided to speak up as he started walking forward again, wanting to poke fun at the cat before he finally went off to class.

Ace watched as the human and monster quickly turned to look at him, startled by him finally announcing his presence. It was funny to see the cat puff up a little, but when Ace looked over at the other human here, he was...startled by the sharp glint in their gem-like eyes. Their shoulders, which had been relaxed and lowered earlier, were now raised with tension, grip tightening around the broom they were holding.

Jeez, did they not like getting surprised? Ace felt a nervous sweet start to break out at the side of his face when the other teen continued to look at him with a narrowed gaze, their expression eerily blank. It was as if they were waiting for the ginger-haired teen to make a wrong move. The tension was broken when the cat spoke, and Ace exhaled slowly, unsure when he had stopped breathing for a second.

“‘The Queen of Hearts’? Is she important?” The cat asked, his fur settling as he looked at Ace with confusion and interest. Ace pressed his lips together, seemingly gathering his thoughts-- _while he was struggling not to guffaw_. Holy **_crap_** , this cat must’ve lived under a rock. Ace quickly regained his control over his emotions before responding.

“In the past, she was the queen who lived in the Rose Maze. She was someone who valued rules and discipline above all, strict in all things--from the march of the Card Soldiers to the color of the rose bushes. It was a land of madness where all submit to her rule.” Ace explained before smirking a little as he said his next few words. “...And why, you might ask? Why should everyone submit to her rule? Well...it was either obedience... _or it was off with your **head**_!”

A visible shiver went through the cat, and Ace struggled to not snicker. Meanwhile, the other teen was...still pretty expressionless, though their eyebrows furrowed slightly. Ace couldn’t really read them, so he turned his attention back to the cat.

“Th-That’s _terrifying_!” The cat stuttered, free paw rubbing at his own neck while his claws dug into the rag he was holding.

“Really? I like it. I think it’s kinda cool.” Ace replied with a grin as he moved a little closer, glancing over at the statue of the Queen of Hearts. “I mean, no one would listen to a queen who’s just nice all the time, right?”

“I...guess so. A strong leader is better than one who’s all talk.” The cat said thoughtfully before he frowned at Ace, inclining his head slightly at the ginger-haired teen. “By the way, who the heck are you?”

“I’m Ace. Ace Trappola. A fresh-faced first-year.” The ginger-haired teen winked at the monster and the other teen, giving a friendly smile to the odd pair. “Nice to meet’cha.”

“I’m Grim, a genius who will become the greatest magician.” Pfft, like that would ever happen. Ace watched the cat-- _Grim_ \--then wave a paw over at the human next to him. “And this is my henchman, Yuu.”

What the heck? ‘Henchman’? When Ace chanced a glance over at the slightly unnerving teen, the ginger-haired student was surprised to see that the blank expression was gone from their face, and there was a tentative, warm smile on their lips--though there was still a little furrow between their eyebrows, gaze still assessing and slightly...knowing? Did...did the other teen-- _Yuu_ \--know that he was faking his friendliness...?

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Trappola.” Yuu said, their voice slightly raspy, as if they had yelled themself raw recently--or maybe they were a heavy smoker? And Ace couldn’t quite stop himself from visibly cringing at how they addressed him. ‘ _Mr. Trappola_ ’?

“Uh, you can just call me Ace.” The Heartslabyul first-year said with a crooked smile, watching as Yuu merely nodded in acknowledgement, adjusting their grip on the broom in their hands slightly. The cat then spoke up once more.

“Hey, Ace. What about that lion over there with the scar? Is he famous for something too?” Grim asked--and _oh_ , this was just too **_good_**. Grim must’ve definitely lived under a rock.

“Of course!” Ace gestured over to the statue that was pointed out, idly noting how Yuu was going back to sweeping. Well, if they did know about the Great Seven, then they didn’t really need to listen to him. However, Yuu did look like they were at least partially paying attention, occasionally glancing at Ace and then Grim. The ginger-haired teen shrugged internally before he turned his attention back to his explanation. “That’s the King of Beasts, and he ruled the Savanna. However, he was not born to be the king, and so he took the throne through his own efforts and elaborate planning.” Was it just Ace, or did Yuu seem to flinch for a second? But the strange teen seemed to be focused on their sweeping still, so Ace continued. “After becoming king, he even allowed the loathed hyenas to live in his kingdom without discrimination.”

“Ooooh. So he was a rock not held captive by his status!” Grim said, amazed, as his tail swayed this way and that. The cat then pointed at the statue he had been wiping down recently. “Who’s the lady with octopus legs?”

“The Witch of the Sea.” Yuu surprisingly spoke up, and Ace blinked before turning his gaze over to where the other teen was standing, pausing in their sweeping as they looked over at the statue of the octo-mer. “...She lives in a cavern in the deep, blue sea, and she helps all of the unfortunate merfolk that seek her out.” Yuu then smiled a little. Huh, this just confirmed that the other teen really did know something about the Great Seven. It was also strange how they were speaking as if the Sea Witch was still around. “She can grant the wishes of those who are willing to pay the price. If it is within her power, she can do just about anything. The prices can be quite high though…”

“Oh- _ho_ ~? Then I can become extremely rich if I become a great magician?” Grim asked, a glint in his eyes as his cat ears twitched on top of his head.

“I suppose that’s one way of putting it.” Yuu replied with a little laugh, and it made them a bit more lively despite how exhausted they look.

“Then what about that guy in the turban, henchman?” Grim asked as he floated over to the statue, circling the stone figure briefly before stopping in front of it.

“...He is a powerful sorcerer, cunning and quite knowledgeable. When he was a vizier, he defended the sultan he served from assassins, liars, enemies, etcetera...and then he eventually became the sultan himself through his own efforts...” Yuu said, and they shift their weight a little, gaze slightly distant. Ace inclined his head with mild confusion.

“You’re leaving out some of the good parts.” Ace then spoke up, and watched as Yuu and Grim turned to look at him. The ginger-haired teen merely continued to smile. “The sultan the Sorcerer of the Sand served was pretty foolish. The sultan almost let his daughter get deceived by a street rat who pretended to be a prince. The Sorcerer of the Sand fortunately saw through this and put a stop to the fake prince’s deception. The Sorcerer of the Sand also gained his power from a magic lamp, turning into quite an accomplished sorcerer among many. They say it was with this power that he became the next sultan.”

“So being the center of attention is important for magicians, huh~?” Grim grinned, and Ace kept himself from raising an eyebrow. Out of the corner of his eye, Ace saw Yuu sigh heavily before they went back to sweeping. “Woah! That lady over there is really beautiful.”

Ace glanced over at Yuu, wondering if the other teen would give an explanation like they did for the Sea Witch and the Sorcerer of the Sand, but they seemed to be strangely deep in thought, gaze slightly distant. And so Ace decided to take back complete control over the summary of who all the Great Seven were.

“She’s the Beautiful Queen. Everyday, she checked the ‘Beauty Ranking’ in her magic mirror. When it looked like she might fall from the number one spot, she never hesitated to do anything to get it back. She was pretty determined to keep her place as most beautiful in the world. Don’t you think that’s amazing?” Ace then grinned sharply at Grim, watching with amusement as the cat’s interested gaze turned to one filled with a bit of fear at the first-year’s next few words. “They say she was pretty adept in making potions--specifically, _poisons_.”

“U-Uh... _yeah_ , sh-she’s pretty. B-But...er...I don’t think I would’ve wanted to go anywhere near her.” Grim stuttered, floating away from the statue as if it would come alive.

“ _Pfft_ \--haha! _Really_? I think it’s pretty cool that she has something she’s not willing to give up. A lot of people could easily give up on their goals--but the Beautiful Queen didn’t.” Ace said, watching Grim flounder slightly, the cat obviously not agreeing with the ginger-haired teen.

“Um...I-I guess that single-minded drive is pretty cool... _probably_ …” Grim replied haltingly. The cat then drifted over slightly to point at a statue at the end of the line. “How about that guy whose hair is on fire? He’s kinda givin’ me the creeps…”

“That’s the Lord of the Underworld!” Ace said with some flourish, silently agreeing that the statue does look a little...unsettling. Maybe it’s the grin? “He ruled a land crawling with evil spirits all on his own. No doubt that he was extremely skilled. Even though he looks scary to you, he still kept doing his detestable job without ever taking a vacation, and his dedication won over Cerberus, the hydra, and a number of titans to fight for him.”

“Huh...so you can’t be too haughty despite being talented.” Grim mused thoughtfully before looking over at the final statue. “What about that one? The lady with the horns?”

Damn. Ace thought Grim might know at least _one_ of the Great Seven, but the cat proved him wrong. Holy shit, this cat knew **_nothing_**! The laugh that wanted to bubble up from Ace’s throat died down a little when the ginger-haired bit the inside of his cheek. He took a few seconds to calm down, under the guise of thoughtfully gathering what he knew about the last statue that needed an introduction.

“She’s the Witch of Thorns from the Magic Mountains. She’s noble and elegant. They say that even within the Great Seven, she’s top class in magic and curses. She can summon lightning and storms, and she even covered an entire country with thorns.” Ace chuckled as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, watching Grim’s reactions with some amusement. “She’s on a whole new level. I heard that there was a time where she transformed into a huge dragon!”

Glancing over at Yuu, they were still looking at the statues with a slightly lost expression, and were they...muttering to themself? What was up with them? The Heartslabyul freshman shrugged mentally and turned his attention back onto Grim.

“...You wouldn’t want to challenge her in a one-on-one duel...”

“ _Ooooh_! A dragon? All monsters look up to them!” Grim said excitedly as he then glanced back at each statue, impressed. “I gotta admit--all of these magicians are pretty cool.”

Freaking **_hell_** , Ace can’t take it anymore.

“Yeah, they’re all really cool--” Ace agreed, a smirk pulling at the corners of his lips, edging closer to a sneer. “--unlike a _certain_ raccoon.”

The cat paused for a moment, grin quickly fading as he quickly turned to look back at Ace, blue eyes narrowed and pupils slitted.

“Wh-...Wh- ** _What_** was that…!?” Grim growled after snapping out of his stunned state. He floated a little higher, but Ace continued to smirk, a laugh starting to bubble up from the ginger-haired teen’s lips.

“ _Pfft_ \--! Y-You two-- _hahahaha_! Damn it, I can’t take it anymore…!” Ace nearly doubled over with his laughing. He can almost feel tears at the corners of his eyes. Ah, _damn_ , his stomach was starting to hurt. “Y-You...you guys were the ones who went crazy at the entrance ceremony, right? _Frick_ , it took everything in me not to lose it then…!”

“You **_bastard_** …!” Grim snarled, his tail lashing around sharply as his claws dug into the rag in his paw. “You’re bein’ pretty rude!”

“Lord Grim--” Yuu, eyebrows pinching together, started to utter-- _and what the heck_? ‘ ** _Lord_** Grim’? Now that Ace thought about it, Yuu had called the cat that in the entrance ceremony. What the hell was their relationship? Anyways, Ace continued to speak despite Yuu trying to interrupt.

“Hey, I’m not being rude. I’m just stating _facts_.” Ace replied instantly, still smirking at the cat. “And now you’ve been regulated to be a janitor? How lame.”

“This is just _temporary_! I’m gonna be kickin’ your ass in class tomorrow!” Grim hissed sharply, and Yuu took a step forward towards the cat. Damn, so the cat was really let into the school. And his punishment will only last a day? What the hell. “You’ll soon be in _awe_ of my skills and **_worship_** the ground that I, _the Great Lord Grim_ , will walk on!”

“ _Hah_ ~? Like _that_ will ever happen! I can’t believe they even let you into Night Raven College! You didn’t even know a _single **thing**_ about the Great Seven until I told you just now! How ignorant can you be? I recommend you go back to kindergarten before becoming a student at this school.” Ace taunted with a sneer. He then heard footsteps from behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, the ginger-haired teen saw that other students were about to walk down Main Street; guess the fun is over, huh? “Now, I’ve gotta get to class--unlike **_you_** , _raccoon_. Hope you can make this school squeaky clean by the end of the day.”

Grim only hissed, eyes glowing brightly while the flames at the tips of his ears flared brightly as he slightly tore into the rag in his paw. Ace’s smirk merely widened at the sight before he began to walk past the cat and Yuu, the latter whose lips have pressed together into a thin line as their gaze followed the ginger-haired teen.

What was the zombie-like teen thinking right now? Honestly, Ace wanted to know why the other teen was still here and sticking around the cat...but the Heartslabyul student guessed that that wasn’t really his business. Something probably went wrong with the Dark Mirror, and they were forced to stay the night. Yuu might be gone the next day, and Ace would just know them as a weird stranger passing through the school. Ace shrugged to himself as he made his way past the statues.

“...Lord Grim, calm down.” Ace heard Yuu speak softly, yet firmly; Ace still can’t get over the fact that the other teen was calling the damn cat ‘Lord Grim’. They really were weird. When Ace heard a sharp growl, the Heartslabyul freshman glanced over his shoulder to see Yuu standing closer to the cat, who had smoke seeping out of his mouth.

“Keep quiet, henchman! He can’t just…! He can’t just **_leave_** like that after saying those things! This little jerk is gonna get it now!” Grim snapped back at Yuu--and _oh_? The cat wanted a fight? Ace was abruptly torn from his thoughts when a ball of blue flames suddenly went flying towards his face.

“Woah!” Ace quickly moved to the right, right hand automatically going up to his pen, which was tucked into the breast pocket of his uniform. The ginger-haired teen spun around as he pulled out his pen, the red gem glinting slightly under the light of the morning sun. “Hey, _watch it_!”

“I’m just givin’ you what you _deserve_!” Grim sneered as he floated a little higher, throwing his rag-- _he had to shake his paw a little to dislodge his claws_ \--to the side. Well, well...looks like Ace managed to make the cat snap. And was Yuu face-palming on the side? While one hand was still holding the broom, the other was definitely pressed firmly against Yuu’s face, the shorter teen sighing heavily. Ace couldn’t pay much more attention to Yuu since another flicker of blue flames began to crackle around Grim’s mouth. “Just stay still so I can light your hair on fire, bastard!”

“Oh, you’re gonna light my hair on fire, huh?” Ace taunted as he brandished his pen through the air, letting his magic slowly come to the surface as he waited for Grim’s next attack. “Go on and try it, raccoon! I’ll easily turn you into a puffy, little toy-poodle before you can hit me!”

“F’naaah!” Grim cried out, a wave of flames surging towards Ace.

The Heartslabyul freshman smirked as he felt the heat of the flames getting closer and closer. With a flick of his pen, Ace manipulated the air around them, a sharp breeze making Grim’s blue flames go completely off course. Ace’s smirk widened when he caught Grim’s surprised and frustrated expression, cool wind and a few leaves brushing past the ginger-haired teen’s face.

“Where do you think you’re aiming?” Ace mocked as he carefully dispersed the flames with a sharp gust of wind before it could start spreading.

“You jerk! Stop twistin’ up my fire!” Grim growled as he sent more shots of blue flames at Ace.

“ _Woah_ , is there a fight going on? Between a student and a... _monster_?” Ah, Ace almost forgot about the other students he saw heading towards Main Street earlier. Nonchalantly sending a ball of flames to the side, Ace could hear a few students continue to talk to each other. “How’d a monster get onto school grounds?”

“Didn’t you hear the freshies last night?” A different student asked. ‘Freshies’? Were they upperclassmen then? “Apparently some sort of raccoon interrupted the entrance ceremony.”

“Doesn’t explain why the monster’s still here though.” The first student that had spoken replied.

“Who cares?” A third student butted in, voice filled with excitement. “It looks like they’re really going at it! Go get ‘im!”

To be honest, Ace wasn’t sure who that last upperclassman was cheering for, but it probably didn’t matter to him. Ace focused all of his attention back onto Grim again, grimacing inwardly when he felt a flicker of flames getting a little too close for comfort. Outwardly, Ace continued to smirk as he kept Grim’s fire from hitting him.

“Is that all you got!?” Ace goaded with a grin, amused to see Grim growing more and more frustrated. “Those flimsy flames are nothing to me!”

“Oh _yeah_!?” Grim snarled, and Ace smirked when more flames and smoke began to seep out of the cat’s mouth. The Heartslabyul freshman raised his pen up a bit, shifting a little to prepare for the next few balls of fire coming his way. “Then take **_this_**!”

A large wave of fire, bigger than the previous attacks, left Grim’s mouth and went hurtling towards Ace. The Heartslabyul freshman sneered as he then waved his pen through the air, making the flames get caught in another twister of wind. Ace then planned to redirect the flames back to Grim, but the ginger-haired teen was startled when the blue fire slipped out of the mini twister and went flying backwards to-- ** _SHIT_**! THE FLAMES WERE ABOUT TO HIT THE QUEEN OF HEARTS’ STAT--!

A hand shot forward, intercepting the flames. Ace stared with wide eyes as Yuu caught the ball of flames, unflinching as it snapped and popped within their grasp. The fire seemed to shrink a little within Yuu’s grasp, dying out ever so slowly.

Holy _crap_ , Ace didn’t even see them move...and weren’t they standing a good few **_meters_** away from the Queen of Hearts’ statue earlier? They had been standing where the other students were watching, right? Anyways, Yuu looked at the, fortunately, unburnt Queen of Hearts’ statue...and then the fire in their raised hand...before finally looking at Ace and Grim, their usually distant, or wary, gaze now blazing brightly with barely suppressed **_anger_**.

...F- _Frick_. Ace didn’t think the zombie-like teen could actually make an expression like that; he swallowed. The ginger-haired teen shivered when he could faintly feel...unknown magic buzzing through the air.

“... ** _Enough_**.” Yuu quietly, yet sharply, said, closing their left hand into a tight fist, completely extinguishing the flames they had caught.

As steam rose from their palm, Yuu then waved the same hand through the air, and Ace, who had yet to stop his wind spell, was stunned when the gust around them settled in an instant with that unknown buzz of magic spreading throughout the area. Was that all _Yuu_? The shorter teen gazed evenly at Ace, eyes slightly narrowed as they spoke again, voice still soft yet cold.

“...It wouldn’t be good for students to have a fight and get into an accident on their first day of school.”

“You are absolutely _correct_ , Mx. Yuu.” A stern voice said, and Ace felt his stomach instantly drop.

Oh. **_Crap_**. Ace knew that voice. Guess it was **_really_** time to go. Before the ginger-haired teen could get far, a black cord quickly shot forward from a certain Headmaster and swiftly snaked its way around Ace. Out of the corner of his eye, Ace saw Grim get caught too. Well, Ace thought, at least he wasn’t the only one at the Headmaster’s mercy--but still, _frick_ , the magic binding him kinda stings.

“ _Guh_! It hurts just as much as the first time...!” Grim whined as he tried to wiggle his way out of the black cord.

“Hmph! It’ll be another hundred years before any of you can escape my Lash of Love!” Headmaster Crowley-- _crap, it really **was** him_\--huffed as he made sure Ace and Grim wouldn’t be able to run away. “ _Honestly_ , Mr. Grim, I thought that you would attempt to not do such things since you wanted to become a student in this prestigious school! You were already walking on thin ice--but then you and another student go and nearly char one of the statues of the Great Seven!”

Grim’s ears flatten on his head, but he looks more petulant at getting caught and scolded for his actions. Since the cat didn’t know the Great Seven until now, it would make sense that the monster wouldn’t really care if the statues were burned or not. Ace saw the cat scowl at him, and the Heartslabyul student merely sent a sneer back at the monster. Ace was then dragged out of the little stare down when Headmaster Crowley abruptly addressed the ginger-haired freshman.

“ _You_ , what’s your grade and name?” The Headmaster demanded, golden eyes bright and slightly narrowed within the holes of his mask.

“A-Ace...Trappola. First-year…” The ginger-haired teen replied with some reluctance. _Frick_. Here we go…

“My goodness, another first-year is causing trouble when it is only the first day of school? Mr. Grim was already a troublemaker, so I somewhat expected him to do something during his punishment--but another first-year?” Headmaster Crowley sighed heavily as he shook his head, daylight glinting off of his sleek mask and golden talons as he lifted a hand to his face, exasperated.

The masked man then lifted his head from his palm and looked over at Yuu, who had moved closer at some point. Yuu was gazing sternly at Grim, and the cat actually seemed to deflate under the zombie-like teen’s stare as he remained in the Lash of Love. Huh, despite being called the ‘henchman’ of the monster, it looked like Yuu was the one who was really in charge. Headmaster Crowley turned his attention to Yuu, whose expression turned to one of mild guilt as they looked back at the masked man before ducking their head slightly.

“And what are you doing here, Mx. Yuu?” The Headmaster asked, sounding exasperated. So Yuu wasn’t even supposed to be here? “This is supposed to be Mr. Grim’s punishment--not _yours_. I expected you to...sleep in.”

Okay, so Yuu had no apparent reason to be here--yet they were helping the cat with his cleaning tasks. Ace couldn’t understand Yuu’s motives. Why help the monster that dragged them into trouble? Why help with cleaning when it wasn’t their punishment to take? Didn’t they want to go back to wherever they came from soon? It just didn’t make much sense to Ace. 

“...I apologize for the chaos that occurred. I should’ve stopped it earlier, and as for being here...I...didn’t really feel like lying around much.” Yuu replied with an uneasy laugh, moving their right, bandaged hand up to run it through their messy locks as they smiled wearily at the Headmaster. As they continued to hold their broom in their left hand, Yuu dropped their right hand back down to their side. “I did sleep like a rock for a good few hours though, and I’m grateful for the little spell you cast. I recovered much quicker than usual.”

“...‘Than _usual_ ’?” The Headmaster asked, sounding baffled and...worried? Yuu’s smile fades fast, expression looking like they said something that they didn’t mean to utter. “Y-You mean this happened **_befo_** \--”

Headmaster Crowley cut himself off, lips pressing together firmly before he shook his head, sighing heavily. The masked man stared at Yuu for a long moment, and the teen merely shifted slightly in response, ducking their face from view slightly. Huh...it looks like something more serious is going on. The Headmaster then abruptly turned his gaze over to Ace, who shrank slightly under the masked man’s glare. The masked man also looked over at Grim, who tried to put up a confident front under the glowing, golden gaze...before finally lowering his head, though still looking a little mulish.

“Mr. Trappola and Mr. Grim, as punishment, the both of you will clean one hundred windows around the campus!” Headmaster Crowley ordered before he finally dispelled his Lash of Love with a flick of his wrist, golden talons clinking against each other.

“Me too!?” Ace couldn’t help but protest as Grim groaned beside the ginger-haired teen.

“What the heck!?” Grim snarled as he puffed up slightly, the fire flickering on his ears flaring a bit as he pointed a paw in Ace’s direction. “It’s this joker’s fault! He was making fun of me!”

“Both of you are responsible for this near catastrophe! Be grateful that I’m not expelling either of you.” Headmaster Crowley snapped back, and Ace held back a flinch at the e-word. Damn. “You two will meet up after school in the cafeteria before you carry out your punishment together.” Double damn. Ace grimaced as he tucked his pen back into his breast pocket before rubbing at his shoulder, where the Lash of Love had awkwardly pinned his arm to his body. The Headmaster then turned his attention back to Yuu, voice... _softening_ just a bit. “And Mx. Yuu, why don’t you head back to your dorm? I do believe you’ve been dragged into enough trouble already.”

So they were staying at a dorm? Ace thought that Yuu wasn’t sorted into any of the dorms though. 

“ _Um_...I still don’t exactly feel like resting just yet.” Yuu replied hesitantly, and where had all of that confidence from before gone? It’s like that glare from earlier had never happened in the first place. “Perhaps I can watch over Lord Grim while he cleans?”

“Like a…’supervisor’, hm? Honestly, with you watching over Mr. Grim like he’s your responsibility, it’s almost as if you were his dorm leade--...” Headmaster Crowley said before pausing, looking deep in thought. It looked like he was forming some sort of plan as he stared at Yuu, who was starting to nervously shift their weight a little. “...Hmm...that might not be a bad idea…”

“What might not be a bad idea?” Yuu asked wearily, but the Headmaster Crowley merely shook his head and smiled.

“Not to worry, Mx. Yuu! We can discuss it at a later time. For now...” The Headmaster heaved a great sigh before continuing. “...I suppose you can stay and keep an eye on Mr. Grim for me. But please do not push yourself too much. You’ve gone through a lot just last night, and I don’t think I would like to see you in that state again so soon.”

“I’ll do my best, Headmaster Crowley.” Yuu replied with a weary smile, and the masked man huffed in response before looking at the surrounding students in the area.

“Now it’s time for everyone to get to class! If any of you are late, all of you will be facing a similar punishment!” The Headmaster called out, and that certainly made everyone scramble their way down the stone road to the main school building. Headmaster Crowley then sent a nod to Ace, Yuu, and Grim. “...Well, I shall be off now. I expect good behavior from all of you for the rest of the day.”

With some flourish, the Headmaster spun on his heel and made his way down Main Street, his coat swaying behind him. Ace watched the masked man go on ahead before looking over at Grim. The Heartslabyul freshman and the cat glared at each other at the same time, but Yuu quickly stepped between the two, blocking the human teen and monster’s view of each other.

“...I apologize for the chaos that occurred to get you landed with a punishment, Ace. Lord Grim could’ve tried to control his magic a bit more.” Yuu said, and Ace looked over at the shorter teen with surprise. Grim seemed shocked as well, starting to frown at the fact that Yuu was apparently on ‘Ace’s side’--but then the coat-wearing teen continued to speak, and that flinty look in their eyes returned, standing up to their full height as they continued to look at Ace. Despite the hollowness of their cheeks and the dark half-circles beneath their eyes, it seems that Yuu’s confidence and fire was back. “But a lot of what you’ve said was uncalled for. The next time you insult and taunt Lord Grim...I won’t be so _forgiving_.”

Grim’s ears perked back up, and the cat stared at Yuu with something that looked like...awe and wonder. Ace stared back at Yuu for a long moment, still trying to get a good read on them...but the ginger-haired teen just couldn’t really understand what was going on through their mind.

“... _Whatever_ , I guess.” Ace said after a long, drawn out sigh. He then waved his right hand through the air dismissively as his left one went to run through his ginger locks. “I’ll just get out of your way now. See ya’.”

Ace then spun on his heel and began to briskly walk down Main Street, moving further and further away from Yuu and Grim. Before Ace was completely out of hearing distance, the ginger-haired teen heard Grim speak up, words directed to Yuu.

“...You know, henchman...I think I might promote you sooner than expected.” Grim said, and Ace heard Yuu let out a soft, amused huff.

“Headmaster Crowley was right though, Lord Grim. You are already walking on very thin ice.” Yuu murmured, and Grim let out a low grumble in response. “I will still help you with cleaning, so why don’t we get back to work? The faster we finish, the longer your break will be before your second punishment.”

“ _Geh_! You don’t need to remind me about that.” Grim replied with a groan. 

Ace didn’t hear anything else after that since he was far away from Yuu and Grim now. Since Yuu and Grim weren’t following Ace to the main school building, the ginger-haired teen assumed that the two of them probably had to finish cleaning up Main Street before moving on to their next few tasks. Ace silently hoped that some of the damn cat’s cleaning tasks were the dirtiest ones on campus.

As Ace also made his way further down Main Street, he then groaned to himself when he recalled what he had to do after school. Exhaling long and slow, Ace gazed up at the blue sky with a frown. ‘Clean 100 windows’? Was the Headmaster _trying_ to kill them both? 

…

…

...There was no way in hell that Ace was gonna actually do it.

~~

 _This is gonna be a boring week_ , thought Floyd Leech, as he made his way out of his second class of the day. Since it was just the first day, most of the classes were just explaining the syllabus of the semester and so forth. So... ** _yeah_**. It was _boooooring_. And Jade, his twin, was lucky--he had the little Goldfishy in his class! It was really unfair.

Floyd huffed as he walked down the stone halls, ignoring a few of the shorter students that gave him wide berths. The turquoise-haired teen hummed as he thought about which class he had to head to next, the earring on his right ear jingling softly as it brushed his cheek. Floyd was kinda debating whether he should just skip right now, but then Jade and Azul would nag hi--

…

...Hm? Floyd abruptly stopped in his walk, blinking his bicolored eyes rapidly. Something smelled like……the _sea_? Was Azul and Jade out of their second classes already as well? But then...Floyd took another whiff of the air, inclining his head thoughtfully. That...doesn’t really smell like Azul or Jade. Floyd turned his head to the left, where the hallway opened up and led to the courtyard. The faint smell of the sea was coming from somewhere around the open area, and the Octavinelle second-year hummed with interest when he spotted something-- _or rather, someone_ \--nearby. 

There was a person sweeping around the courtyard.

Floyd studied the stranger. He couldn’t quite see their face at the moment, but he could observe other things about the person for now. They were short--maybe as short as Goldfishy. The navy blue coat they were wearing seemed to be just a bit too big for them, making them look even smaller. They were not wearing the school uniform, so were they not a student?

The human-- _they seem to be human_ \--gripped a broom in their tiny, _tiny_ hands as they went about the stone paths to sweep away the leaves that were here and there. Were they a part of the school staff? Occasionally, the little human paused in their sweeping to look over at something--and is that a cat?

There’s a floating cat with flaming ears-- _A monster?_ \--snipping away at the hedges nearby with a pair of shears, and Floyd was greatly amused by the sight. The cat seemed to grumble to himself as he snipped away at the hedge he was working on to make it look neat. Seeing that the cat was still working, the human nearby then returned to their task. To be honest, Floyd was confused as to why these two were doing this. Doesn’t the school’s contract-fairies take care of these sorts of things--?

The short human abruptly turned around and made eye-contact with Floyd, and the turquoise-haired teen was stunned by the intensity in their eyes, gaze assessing. Floyd now had a good look of their face, and despite how tired and thin they looked, there was something about their eyes that said that the little human didn’t want to be messed with. The Octavinelle second-year felt a smile start to spread across his face, excitement bubbling up in his chest.

Floyd has now found a reason to skip class.

He was sure Azul and Jade would understand. And so, with a little hum, Floyd left the hallway and walked out into the courtyard, feeling a cool breeze pass by as he went straight towards the little human who was still watching him. It was kinda funny; they looked like they were about to scuttle away...like a little shrimp. Haha, ‘shrimp’ kinda suits the little human in front of Floyd.

“ _Hehe_ ~! Hey, Shrimpy!” Floyd decided to greet them as he approached with a wide grin, showing off his slightly pointed teeth. “What’cha doin’~?”

They studied Floyd for a long moment as he moved closer and closer, looking wary--but there was no fear, nor did they seem intimidated. Usually, a lot of shorter people were intimidated by him simply because he was taller, but this human just seemed to be wary of his... _intentions_. Honestly, Floyd wasn’t planning on doing anything bad. He just wanted to learn more about Shrimpy, who had suddenly gained his interest. Floyd came to a stop, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he rocked back slightly on his heels, waiting for Shrimpy’s answer.

“U-Um…” They uttered, nervous--and _aw_ , Floyd kinda wanted to give them a little squeeze all of a sudden; not the kind that would hurt though. They propped the broom against their right shoulder as they fiddled with the big cuffs of their coat. “I’m just...sweeping.”

“But _why_ ~?” Seriously though, why? “I thought the school takes care of that stuff. Are you a new staff member? I haven’t seen you around in school before, _haha_ ~!”

They blinked their eyes rapidly at his words, looking a little overwhelmed. Shrimpy glanced around the area for a brief moment before keeping their gaze firmly on Floyd. They continue to watch him with caution.

“Due to some... _complications_...I’m helping a friend with his cleaning punishment.” Shrimply finally replied, tone polite, and Floyd glanced over at the cat that was moving onto a different bush. Was that Chubby Seal the mentioned friend? “It’s only temporary, so he can start school the next day.”

“Eeeh~? Wow, the Roly-poly Seal is gonna be a student here?” Floyd watched the corners of Shrimpy’s mouth twitch upwards with amusement at the little nickname of the cat, and it made Floyd beam brightly, feeling somewhat accomplished. Anyways, a monster being a student? Floyd wondered if Azul would like to hear about it. Would a floating cat that was on fire be a potential client? Also… “But why do you have to help with the cleaning, Shrimpy? Did you do something bad too?”

“Not really.” They replied, and that smile on their face grew a bit more, though they still looked a little nervous. Shrimpy went back to holding their broom, and Floyd’s gaze was absently drawn from their weary face to the bandages around their right hand. Was Shrimpy hurt? “I had nothing better to do, so I wanted to help out.”

“I see…” Floyd hummed as he inclined his head a little.

It was... ** _strange_** , Floyd thought, as he silently studied the little human before him. The longer Floyd stood before Shrimpy, the more he noted the... _calming_ effect they had on him. It was like hanging around Jade and Azul; those two were pretty much the only ones he enjoyed being with, even though they do get irritating sometimes. There was just... _something_ about them that was... ** _familiar_**...and warm.

Floyd gazed into those tired eyes, and he was almost lost in the shadows that lingered there. The Octavinelle second-year wondered about what could have happened to Shrimpy to get that look of caution and weariness there--and he was abruptly reminded of something in his past. Floyd remembered a similar look in the eyes of a certain octo-mer child, who was diligently scribbling down spells and different pieces of knowledge with his own ink. There had been so much mistrust in the eyes of that chubby octo-mer when Jade and Floyd first came upon him, but underneath all of that cold and cruel front...was someone who had been hurt too many times.

Maybe that was why Shrimpy seemed so familiar to him.

“...What’s your name, Shrimpy?” Floyd then decided to ask as the warning bell for next class rang in the distance. The turquoise-haired teen grinned brightly. “I’m Floyd!”

“Yuu.” They-- _they were named Yuu, but he was still gonna call them Shrimpy_ \--introduced themself with a small, shy smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Floyd.”

Floyd made a face in response to what Shrimpy had just called him. That sounded **_way_** too stiff for the Octavinelle student. The turquoise-haired teen just wanted to be friends with Shrimpy.

“Just Floyd is fine, Shrimpy.” The turquoise-haired teen replied as he frowned a little--and he _wasn’t_ pouting like Jade and Azul says he does when he gets upset.

“It’s nice to meet you, Floyd.” Shrimpy corrected themself easily, amusement twinkling in their tired gaze. Speaking of their tired gaze, Floyd was about to ask about how Shrimpy ended up looking like... _well_...looking like they came back from the dead or something. They looked like they really needed sleep. But before the Octavinelle student could ask, Shrimpy abruptly looked past Floyd, eyes widening a little. “Lord Grim, you can’t burn the bushes!”

‘ _Lord_ Grim’? Was the cat royalty? Was Shrimpy actually a servant?

“It’s faster this way!” Floyd heard the cat-- _wow, the Chubby Seal can speak_ \--respond indignantly. The turquoise-haired teen watched Shrimpy’s face go through multiple expressions at once with amusement; their emotions seemed to range from exasperation, to exhaustion, to resignation, and then mild fondness.

“ _No_ , you’ll end up--! Um, sorry, Floyd. It really was nice meeting you, but I better stop my friend before he does something rash again.” Shrimpy said in a rush before they quickly ran over to where the floating cat was. Floyd smiled, entertained, as he turned a little to watch the shorter teen go. The turquoise-haired second-year was about to follow after Shrimpy, but a familiar voice called out to him.

Jade Leech, vice-dorm leader of Octavinelle, sighed when he caught sight of his twin, who was obviously not on his way to his next class. Jade supposes he should have expected this; the first day of school is usually one of the more boring days in the semester. Still, Jade can’t have his brother acting out so soon. Floyd was certainly smart and could keep his grades up with ease, but Jade wouldn’t want him to get into trouble already.

“Floyd,” Jade called out, and his twin paused in his walk across the courtyard. When Jade watched his brother turn around, a flicker of exasperation and fondness made the vice-dorm leader smile a little. “Are you already trying to skip class?” 

It was a rhetorical question; Jade and Floyd both knew it. Both Octavinelle second-years gazed at each other for a moment...before Jade blinked when he heard a slight commotion. The vice-dorm leader turned his head and saw a peculiar sight: a human and a monster trying to trim a bush. The human was young-looking, and they seemed to be around the same height as dorm leader Rosehearts. Since they were not dressed in the school uniform-- _they wore a large coat, white undershirt, black slack, and oxfords_ \--Jade was inclined to believe that they were not a student.

The monster was an even more bizarre sight to behold. The tips of the feline’s ears were on fire, and his tail had three prongs like a trident. It was apparent that the cat-monster was attempting to set a bush on fire, and the short human was stopping him. The sight was almost comedic, the human putting out leaves that had caught on fire with a whisper of magic before dragging the cat away from another bush he was attempting to burn. Jade saw that Floyd had also turned his gaze to where those two were, and the vice-dorm leader of Octavinelle could see the _interest_ and _amusement_ glinting in his brother’s eyes.

“Hm? Did something catch your eye, Floyd?” Jade asked, his own amusement curling a corner of his lips higher. Floyd could skip class for no reason at all, but it seemed that his twin had found something that caught his interest.

“I met someone new.” Floyd simply replied, still watching the odd human and monster duo before looking over at Jade with a toothy grin. “Their name’s Yuu, but I like to call them Shrimpy~! And Shrimpy said that the Chubby Seal is called Grim.”

‘Shrimpy’ and ‘Chubby Seal’, hm? Floyd usually gave ‘special’ nicknames to people who caught his eye; everyone else was usually called an anemone. Jade turned his head to observe Mx. Yuu again, blinking when a light breeze brought the faint scent of the sea to his nose...

... _Oh_. Was this why Floyd was interested in the human? It couldn’t just be that. Jade tilted his head a little as he studied Mx. Yuu thoughtfully, eyes eventually trailing down to their bandaged hand. Something stirred in the back of Jade’s mind, like he was trying to recall something. And then multiple things clicked together at once in Jade’s head, and he began to realize why the human-and-monster duo seemed so familiar to him.

“... ** _Oh_**?” Jade said aloud as he moved a glove hand up to his chin, smiling with amusement as interest stirred within him. “I thought they would’ve been gone by now, since they did claim that arriving in Night Raven College was a mistake……I wonder...what had changed?”

“Hmm~? You know Shrimpy, Jade?” Floyd asked, and it was apparent that Jade’s twin had yet to realize who Mx. Yuu and Mr. Grim were.

“Those two are the ones that Azul had mentioned to us last night. Do you not recall?” Jade replied as he dropped his gloved hand from his chin. He watched Floyd blink his bicolored eyes rapidly...before realization also dawned on his brother’s face. Floyd’s grin seemed to widen as he looked at Jade with excitement.

“Azul would want us to keep an eye on Shrimpy and Seal, right?” Floyd asked brightly as he glanced back over to Mx. Yuu and Mr. Grim, his earring jingling softly with his movements. “Since I got to meet Shrimpy first, then I can--”

“ _Floyd_.” Jade interrupts, slightly admonishing, but amused and fond. “We’ll have plenty of time later to learn about Mx. Yuu and Mr. Grim. I’m sure Azul will be pleased to know that you’ve already made contact with at least one of them...but you should get back to class. You only have a few minutes before it begins.”

“I wanna stay with Shrimpy and Seal!” Floyd protested, looking at Jade pleadingly.

“Perhaps another time, Floyd.” Jade said softly to persuade his twin. The vice-dorm leader of Octavinelle continued to smile. “I would not like for you to upset the teachers so soon.”

“... _Fiiiiine_.” Floyd groaned as he briefly ran a hand through his hair, expression mulish. He then looked back over to where Mx. Yuu and Mr. Grim were. Jade watched his brother cup his hands around his mouth before calling out to the human and monster. “Bye, Shrimpy and Seal! I’ll see you later~!”

Jade watched as the cat-monster jolted with shock; the feline probably hadn’t noticed the Leech twins until now. Mx. Yuu, on the other hand, turned away from the bush they had recently saved and merely smiled tentatively while shyly waving at Floyd. Their tired gaze then slid over to Jade, and Mx. Yuu’s eyes widened briefly with surprise. It was always amusing to see people do double-takes at the sight of Floyd and him, and so Jade chuckled softly, smiling politely at Mx. Yuu. Twins were apparently a relatively uncommon thing on land compared to the sea.

But then Jade was surprised by the _wariness_ that began to edge into Mx. Yuu’s gaze, their smile fading just a bit. Hmm...so Mx. Yuu seemed to be the cautious type around strangers. That might be a bit of an obstacle if Azul wanted Mx. Yuu to make a Deal; Mr. Grim looked like one of the simpler ones to trick. For now...the Octavinelle students will just have to find a way to gain Mx. Yuu’s trust. Jade hummed to himself as he nodded his head in Mx. Yuu’s direction before following Floyd out of the courtyard and back into the school halls.

“...They reminded me of someone.” Floyd abruptly commented as they went deeper into the main school building.

Jade blinked before looking over at his bother with a slightly raised eyebrow. When Floyd turned his head to look at Jade, the latter was surprised by the uncharacteristically solemn look on the other’s face. Floyd didn’t say anything else after that, and it left Jade feeling a bit lost. Jade glanced over his shoulder to look at where Mx. Yuu was holding up a pair of shears for Mr. Grim to take again. One thing was for certain.

Mx. Yuu had caught the interest of Azul, Floyd, _and_ Jade. They were a potential client...and a person who was about to do various things that would be very... ** _very_** amusing in the near future.

~~

That human kid over there is way too skinny, was the first thing Ruggie Bucchi thought when he looked over at a teen, whom he had never seen before around the school grounds. They were sitting on a table in the far corner of the cafeteria with some sort of funky-lookin’ cat, who was digging into, what looked like, a tuna sandwich…while the human had nothing.

What the _hell_. Anyone could see that the human kid was underfed. Sure, they had some meat on those bones, but the unhealthy hollowness of their cheeks and the bags underneath their eyes were quite telling of their current well-being. Ruggie’s knee bounced as he sat at a random table in the cafeteria, giving careless waves to random Savanaclaw students that greeted him. He wasn’t the vice-dorm leader, but he was somewhat respected among the students because of his closeness with a certain lazy lion.

The hyena-beastman kept on glancing over at the odd human and the cat, hands resting beside two multi-meat sandwiches on the table for his and Leona’s lunch; it wasn’t as good as the deluxe minced cutlet sandwich, but it was something to sate his kingliness’ tastes. Anyways, he had been planning to leave the cafeteria immediately after getting lunch, but his nose caught a familiar, unpleasant scent.

The human kid didn’t actually smell bad; their natural scent was sweet and soft with a mix of other things that Ruggie couldn’t quite identify. The thing that Ruggie was smelling, beneath their natural scent, was the state of their health. Sick people and healthy people smell different--and this kid right here was smelling like the former. And the coat-wearing human didn’t just smell sick...it was that nauseating, sour scent of someone who was starving. Ruggie **_loathed_** that scent, having smelt it for so long when he was little. 

... _Damn it_. Ruggie’s nails scraped over the wooden surface of the table as he warred with himself for a moment. He really shouldn’t get himself involved, but he found himself finally standing up from the table he had been sitting on while eyeing the kid and cat--but mostly the human. After scooping up the sandwiches, he swiftly made his way across the cafeteria, doing his best to relax his posture to come across as friendly. 

“...Heya, kid.” Ruggie called out with an easy-going smile while mentally cursing his habit of immediately wanting to feed any malnourished-looking kid he comes across.

Ruggie watched as the kid turned around in their seat slightly. They didn’t look very surprised to see him, and the hyena-beastman silently wondered if he had been staring that intently at them for the human to have expected his approach. The human did look a little tense though, wary eyes darting around the cafeteria for a moment before settling back on Ruggie.

Damn, they really looked terrible up close. The human looked like they should be in bed at the moment. The large coat really wasn’t helping; the clothes that seemed a bit big for them just made them look smaller...and frail. However, the assessing glint in their eyes did make Ruggie pause a little. It was like the look of a cornered prey about to fight back--... _no_ , that was wrong. It was like being in front of a wounded predator, who was prepared to lash out at any second. Ruggie felt a strange sense of pride within him at the sight; he was reminded of the few strays back home who had such a look in their eyes as well--the ones who were determined to _live_.

The cat on the other hand jumped slightly at the sound of the Savanaclaw second-year’s voice, puffing up a little before he quickly scampered along the surface of the table, half a tuna sandwich in his mouth, to sit with the human slightly between him and Ruggie. Obviously, the cat hadn’t expected Ruggie’s sudden appearance at their table. The cat narrowed his blue gaze at Ruggie suspiciously as his dark gray fur continued to stand on end, canines sinking into the soft bread of his sandwich as he held it in his mouth.

“...Hello…” The human finally greeted softly after a slightly awkward pause of looking at each other.

“I noticed ya’ weren’t eatin’ anythin’.” Ruggie hummed, and frick, this was awkward...but he handed out his sandwich to the human. “Ya’ look like you’re skin n’ bones, so why don’t ya’ have somethin’?”

“I…” They blink their eyes rapidly with surprise, pausing. They glance down at the sandwich held out to them before looking back up at Ruggie. They flex the fingers of their bandaged-- _Why was it bandaged_?--right hand. “I...finished lunch already, and I had a big breakfast this morning.”

...Wildebeest- _frickin’_ -shit. Ruggie’s lax grin became slightly strained. He may have come into the cafeteria after the human and the cat, but it was obvious that the kid hadn’t eaten lunch. The thing about eating a ‘big breakfast’ seemed like a lie as well. The hyena-beastman had to admit that the human had a good poker face, lying in front of him without batting an eye. They did hesitate briefly, but their expression definitely looked like a hard mask to crack; Ruggie silently wondered what kind of people they met since they had to apparently perfect it. Before the Savanaclaw second-year could say anything, the cat spoke up.

“No you didn’t.” The cat butted in with a look of confusion as he held the remaining bite of his sandwich between his paws. “You didn’t eat lunch--you said you weren’t hungry. And for breakfast, you barely finished the soup that the bird-man gave you last night. In fact, I don’t think you didn’t even finish it at all this morning. You’re super slow at eating, henchman.”

Judging by the human’s face, they had not expected Grim to blatantly give out information to Ruggie just like that. They jerkily look at the cat with wide eyes before glancing back over at the Savanaclaw second-year, trying to regain control over their expression. Ruggie tried to keep his face blank, but a grimace wormed its way onto his lips. They looked ready to completely avoid this conversation all together.

Ruggie went about this the wrong way. Thinking back to new strays that he would come across, he was being a bit too suspicious with the kid in front of him. If they wouldn’t take the food immediately, he had to gain their trust first. Ah, but even if they won’t accept the food in the end, Ruggie will just throw it at them and leave.

“...I’m Ruggie Bucchi, a second-year. I’m one of the students in the Savanaclaw dorm.” Ruggie decided to introduce himself with a grin, still holding the sandwich in front of the human before him. “Ya’ don’t have ta’ tell me who you are, but at least eat somethin’--even if yer’ slow at it.”

...The kid still didn't take the food. Well, on to Plan B-- _leave the food and go_. Before the kid could form a response, Ruggie quickly deposited his sandwich down onto the table in front of them; he had quite a few sandwiches he could eat stashed away back at the Savanaclaw dorm, so it was fine. The hyena-beastman grinned toothily at the human kid as they glanced at the sandwich and back at him with a slightly open mouth of surprise.

“No take-backsies~!” Ruggie sang...and then his grin became a little lopsided. “...Even if ya’ get nauseous, try to eat as much as possible, ‘ _kay_?”

Ruggie didn’t wait for their answer, quickly turning on his heel before he began whistling a random tune to show some nonchalance, as if he did this for any stranger he met. He heard a jumbled sentence of protest from the kid, and the hyena-beastman groaned internally, wondering if he had to argue with the human to just. _Take_. The _damn_. **_Sandwich_**. But then the cat surprisingly cut in.

“Just eat the sandwich, stupid human. I can’t have a weakling as one of my henchmen.” The cat grumbled.

Kudos to the feline, since the human’s protests seemed to die out soon enough. Ruggie wasn’t sure if the human was gonna actually eat the sandwich, but he hoped they would in the end. The Savanaclaw student frowned faintly to himself as he made his way out of the cafeteria, thinking about the hint of scars nicking the human's fingers and the slightly visible ones around their neck--

Ruggie then shook his head. He had no damn reason to stick his nose further into things that had nothing to do with him. The Savanaclaw student sighed to himself as he glanced down at the multi-meat sandwich in his hand, thinking back to his original reason for coming to the cafeteria in the first place. He had a certain lazy lion to take care of…

… 

…And yet…Ruggie idly wondered if that too-skinny kid in the cafeteria had a favorite food they wanted to eat. Maybe he could ask the cafeteria cooks if they can make it for him.

~~

 _This really sucks_ , Grim thought, as he lounged around on one of the empty cafeteria tables. It was now the end of school, so there wasn’t really anyone around at the moment. After the...weird situation with lunch, finishing up his first punishment was easy. Grim had to admit that his henchman was really good at cleaning; they did it quickly and neatly. The Great Lord Grim did his fair share of his punishment as well, and he felt relieved that he only had to clean from Main Street to the library area. Still, it was a stupid amount of work. Becoming a student at Night Raven College better be worth it.

And now, Grim was waiting to start his second punishment with that crappy bastard from this morning. At the moment, Grim’s henchman had to leave because that stupid bird-man stopped by to drag them off to some person named 'Sam'. With the knowledge of the conversation last night that the cat-monster half-payed attention to, Grim deduced that his henchman was about to be interviewed by the Sam-person to get a job at a store.

It was bad timing though. Grim was sure, with the help of Yuu, he could’ve quickly gotten through the 100 window punishment without that fire-head student! And speaking of that bastard, Ace, Grim was silently wondering why that inferior human was taking so _long_ to get to the cafeteria. Well, Ace didn’t have the advantage of flying, so that was a thing…

If that bastard Ace had forgotten about the 100 window punishment, then Grim will be pissed--... _damn it_. That crappy human probably didn’t forget--he **_purposely_** skipped, and he was probably **_laughing_** at the Great Lord Grim right now! Grim growled lowly as the claws in his forepaws came out; he barely stopped himself from scratching the surface of the table below him since the cat had already been nagged enough by Yuu to not damage school property.

Honestly, Grim is inclined to forget about all of Yuu’s admonishments at this point. That fire-head bastard was going down…! Grim flew up from the table, glancing over the clock to indeed confirm that it had almost been an hour since school had ended. The cat-monster huffed, flames edging at the corners of his mouth as he then quickly left the cafeteria. The Great Lord Grim was gonna find Ace and drag that bastard back over here to make him clean 100 windows!

...And then Grim will sneak away and leave the punishment for Ace. It was the bastard’s fault that he got caught up in this mess in the first place.

~~

Gazing into the blazing, gold eyes of the Headmaster, Deuce Spade, a freshman of Heartslabyul, wasn’t exactly sure how it had all happened.

The first day had been...a little stifling. It wasn’t something he couldn’t handle. But it was just...something that he wasn’t used to doing. Yet Deuce had to do this-- _for the sake of his mother_. A part of him warms at the thought of her...and then it twists into something painful. Deuce silently wondered if he could’ve possibly done anything bad today, but no teacher had said anything, so he believed he was in the clear. Was he on the right path in making his mother proud?

Deuce had been calmly making his way back to the mirror that led to his dorm--and then he heard shouting coming from behind him. Deuce had then paused in his walk, blinking his eyes rapidly with surprise before he turned slightly, widening his eyes when he saw a ginger-haired student running down the dimly-lit hall towards him.

“Outta the way! _Move it_!” The ginger-haired student had barked at him, and Deuce could only stumble out of the way, watching with wide eyes as the other student barreled past.

“Hey, you!” Another voice had shouted at Deuce, and the Heartslabyul freshman was surprised to see a talking raccoon rushing towards him through the air--wait, wasn’t that the monster from last night’s ceremony? Deuce could only lift a hand to point at himself. What the hell was going on? Deuce just wanted to get back to his dorm in time before he could anger Prefect Rosehearts.

“M- _Me_?”

“Yeah, **_you_**!” The raccoon hissed with anger as he panted heavily. He started to sag downwards slightly, looking prepared to flop onto the floor, but his bright blue eyes were filled with determination and anger. He jabbed a paw through the air to point at the student who had ran past Deuce. “Stop that bastard! He’s trying to escape a punishment!”

“S-Stop him…!?” Deuce whipped his head over to look at the retreating back of the ginger-haired student. And this other student was trying to escape a punishment? What had the ginger-haired student done to get in trouble--? _Argh_ , Deuce had no time to think about this! The raccoon said to stop the student because he was running from a punishment, right? It would be right for Deuce to lend a hand and stop this ginger-haired teen right here and now. “Do I freeze him place--? No, no, no…! What about rope--?”

“Just _do_ **_something_** already!” The raccoon shouted as he regained enough breath to start flying after the other student, who was just at the end of the hall. Deuce bit his lip as he reached for his pen tucked into his breast pocket, the gem glinting slightly as he waved it through the air. Maybe...something heavy?

Deuce concentrated sharply, and with a spark of magic, a cauldron popped into the air...and slammed down onto the head of the ginger-haired student before he could make a turn into a different hallway. Deuce winced a little, silently wondering if he had overdone it as he dismissed the cauldron, which disappeared with a sparkling cloud of smoke that quickly dissipated. The navy-haired teen was a little satisfied by his accomplishment though as he quickly jogged down the hall to catch up with the ginger-head.

“ _Gyahaha_ ~! Now you’ve become a pancake, stupid human!” The raccoon laughed with triumph as he floated above the student on the ground.

“Frick, that **_hurt_** …!” The ginger-haired teen hissed, and Deuce felt like he had seen this person before, but he wasn’t sure where. The navy-haired teen was pulled out of his thoughts when the other student-- _another person from Heartslabyul, Deuce noted_ \--spoke, words directed at the raccoon. “You damn cat.” Oh, the raccoon was actually a cat. “I don’t see the reason why you need to chase me down. You can wash a hundred windows on your own, right?”

“Wh-- _a hundred windows_?” Deuce spluttered, baffled as he watched the ginger-haired student get back up onto his feet without assistance. “What exactly did you **_do_**?”

“‘What did **_I_** do’?” The ginger-haired teen parroted with indignation as he whirled around to face Deuce, rubbing the back of his head with a grimace. “I didn’t do anything! It’s all that cat's fault! _He_ ’s the one that almost burned the Queen of Hearts’ statu--”

“You two _burned_ the statue!?” Deuce cried out, appalled. Damn it, did he already get mixed up with the wrong people?

“ _Almost_! The Queen of Hearts’ statue **_almost_** got burned.” The ginger-head stressed with exasperation. “And I had _nothing_ to do with that incident! I got dragged into it by this little piece of sh--......” Deuce and the other Heartslabyul student turned their heads to see the empty spot of where a certain cat should have been. The ginger-haired teen’s voice became eerily calm, a tinge of anger beneath it all. “...Where the _hell_ did he go?”

Did...did he just help the wrong person, Deuce wondered, mouth slightly agape when he barely caught sight of the cat running back in the direction they had all come from. Deuce could faintly hear the cat’s cackling before the feline was too far away to be audible. The navy-haired teen could feel and hear the ginger-head silently seething beside him.

“...Okay, you’re helping me catch that damn raccoon!” The ginger-haired teen abruptly said, and Deuce turned a startled look to the other Heartslabyul student. Wait, was the animal a cat or a raccoon? Deuce was getting a bit confused, but more importantly...

“Wh- ** _What_**? Why _me_!?”

“Firstly, you probably gave me a concussion with that damn pot.” The ginger-haired teen said, and Deuce winced a little, fingers fiddling with his pen guiltily. “Secondly, you’ve become involved with this situation, so now it's part of your responsibility to help me get the cat. So let’s go...uh…?”

“Deuce. Deuce Spade.” The navy-haired teen introduced himself while beginning to realize where exactly he had seen this ginger-head before--at the entrance ceremony. Deuce’s next words were dry. “We’re both freshmen of the Heartslabyul dorms. You should know the name of your fellow classmates...”

“Oh _yeah_?” The ginger-head snapped back, raising an eyebrow at the navy-haired teen challengingly. “Then what’s my name?”

 _Damn_. Deuce floundered for a moment, realizing his hypocrisy. The other Heartslabyul student merely smirked with amusement as he brought out his own pen from his breast pocket.

“Ah, whatever. Just call me Ace.” The ginger-head-- _Ace_ \--said flippantly before he quickly began to run down the hall, calling over his shoulder. “Let’s hurry and catch the raccoon, Juice!”

“It’s _Deuce_!”

And so the chase began once more. Deuce just hoped that he would be able to return to the Heartslabyul dorm on time.

~~

Apparently, being late to the dorm should have been the least of Deuce’s worries. After chasing the cat into the cafeteria, Deuce had tried to launch Ace at the feline, but that had gone... _poorly_. And now...Deuce, Ace, and the cat stood-- _the latter was floating_ \--before the Headmaster...and there was another, shorter teen just off to the side of the masked man.

They were dressed differently from a student, the thin fingers of their bandaged right hand wrapped around the handles of a plastic bag they were carrying. The short teen looked shocked at the state of the cafeteria...then exasperated...and finally accepting and guilty, as if they had expected this to happen. They exhaled softly and shut their eyes for a moment.

Deuce felt a cold sweat run down the back of his neck as he swallowed harshly, lowering his gaze to the colorful shards of glass at his feet. He was almost afraid to turn and see the full extent of the damage he had caused. Oh no...what would his mother think when she hears the news?

“ _This_ …!” Headmaster Crowley hissed. “ _This_...IS THE **_LAST_** STRAW!” Deuce flinched at the volume of the masked man’s voice. “You three…...I shall have all of you _expelled_!”

E- _Expulsion_?! Deuce’s heart plummeted to his stomach as he sucked in a sharp breath, fingers trembling with how hard he was clutching his pen at the moment. If only he hadn’t…! _Damn it_ , he couldn’t let this happen!

“I-Is there any way to rescind the expulsion? I can pay for the expenses of the chandelier if I must!” Deuce nearly begged. “Please, Headmaster! I still have something to do at this scho--!”

“This chandelier cannot be lit again due to the idiocy of every single one of you.” Headmaster Crowley interrupted coolly. “The magic core-crystal within the chandelier-- _which was a masterpiece that had been crafted by a legendary master of magical tools, mind you_ \--has been shattered and cannot just be replaced by another. Also, addressing your offer of paying for the damages, Mr. Spade--are you willing to give a billion madol to fix the chandelier? As I mentioned before, this chandelier is extremely unique, and cannot be mended through simple means. And before you say anything, Mr. Trappola, this cannot be fixed with mere magic!”

Out of the corner of his eye, Deuce saw Ace lower his raised hand, the ginger-head’s lips pressed together tightly. Deuce himself was panicking internally, squeezing his eyes shut. It was only the first day, and yet he messed everything up so badly. He had his only chance, and he blew it. Was there really no way to get out of expulsio--?

“Is there a way for them to find a core-crystal that originated from the same place?” A soft, scratchy voice spoke up.

Deuce snapped his eyes open and looked over at the teen who wore a coat that was just a bit too big for them. They were looking at Headmaster Crowley at the moment, gaze calm. The masked man stared down at the short teen for a bit with surprise in his gaze and posture before he turned contemplative. Deuce felt hope stirring within him.

“I…... _well_ , there is a place where they could get another core-crystal.” The Headmaster murmured thoughtfully, and Deuce stood up straighter, glancing over at the short teen beside the masked man with gratitude for a brief moment before focusing completely on the next few spoken words. “The core-crystal that you all shattered had come from the Dwarf Mines. If you can find another one that resides in those mines, then the repairs to the chandelier might be possible.” Before Deuce could make a comment, the Headmaster continued to speak, one gloved hand moving underneath his chin as a taloned finger tapped his cheek pensively. “However, I cannot guarantee that there are any crystals left in the mine. It has been closed for quite some time now…”

“Please allow me to go, Headmaster Crowley!” Deuce pleaded. “I’ll do _anything_ \--as long as I don’t get expelled.”

There was a brief pause, and Deuce waited with bated breath as the Headmaster mulled over his options. After a few more tense seconds, the masked man made his decision. 

“... _Oh_ , alright.” Headmaster Crowley relented with a sigh, and Deuce sagged with relief. The masked man dropped his hand from his chin as he continued to speak. “I shall give you three one night. By tomorrow morning, you must come back to me with a magic crystal, or you shall all face expulsion.”

“Thank you very much, Headmaster!” Deuce replied as he quickly bowed, watching out of the corner of his eye as Ace merely ducked his head in thanks while the cat huffed, looking upset.

“Well, I guess we gotta go and get that crystal.” Ace muttered with a sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“This is just another punishment…” The cat grumbled as he crossed his arms, tail lashing around behind him.

It ticked Deuce off. They should be grateful for the chance that was given to them! Honestly, Deuce wanted to give those two a piece of his mind with his fists--no, _no_ , **_no_**. He couldn’t do that-- ** _shouldn’t_** do that. Deuce had to calm down. Still, the navy-haired teen’s hands closed tightly into fists at his sides, his gloves squeaking softly as he exhaled shakily.

“May I go with them?” The soft voice of the short teen spoke up once more--and who _was_ this person?

Deuce had a feeling that he saw this person before recently. Similarly with his introduction with Ace, Deuce was struck with a realization; this person had been the one sorted into no dormitory last night...and they had assisted in bringing the cat under control. Also, didn’t they give up their place in the school for the cat to become a student? Why were they still here? Well, all Deuce knew was that the cat had been an intruder and this short teen beside the Headmaster had teleported to Night Raven College on accident. Deuce wondered what had happened throughout the rest of the night when all the freshmen left to their dorms and the short teen and cat was left with the Headmaster. 

“I have a feeling that if they go on their own, something bad might happen.” They explained to Headmaster Crowley, and there’s nothing condescending in their tone, so Deuce isn’t really offended. Thinking about it, it might be good to have at least one mediator in the group before Deuce can start strangling someone. The navy-haired teen doesn’t feel like he can trust himself with his own emotions at this point. They also seem to be a calm, level-headed person to keep an eye on Deuce, Ace, and the cat.

“Mx. Yuu, it is not necessary for you to--” The Headmaster protested.

“I was the one who badgered you into letting Lord Grim become a student of Night Raven College, and so he is somewhat my responsibility.” They-- _Yuu_ \--cut in softly, and they smiled lopsidedly at the Headmaster as they adjusted their grip slightly on the bag they were carrying. Why did the cat-- _Grim, apparently_ \--have ‘Lord’ added to his name? “That means it’s partially my fault that the chandelier ended up broken.” Huh? “I should’ve asked to meet Mr. Sam tomorrow in order to keep an eye on Lord Grim throughout the rest of his punishment.”

Why were they...taking some of the blame? Ace seemed equally confused, and Grim’s frown faded instantly. The cat actually looked a little guilty for once now, ears flattening on his head as he stared at Yuu with wide eyes. The Headmaster gazed at Yuu for a long moment, lips pressed together...before finally sighing with acceptance.

“...W-Well, _alright_ \--but you are **_not_** at fault for anything that has occurred this afternoon, Mx. Yuu. I hope you know that.” The Headmaster replied softly--and Deuce, for some reason, felt like the masked man was acting very... _gentle_ with Yuu? Perhaps it was the navy-haired teen’s imagination. “You four can use the Gate in the Chamber of Mirrors to get to the Dwarf Mines.”

“We shall return before you know it, Headmaster!” Deuce replied earnestly.

Headmaster Crowley merely sighed softly as he shook his head for a brief moment. The masked man looked at Yuu once more, and they sent a small, reassuring smile back at him. With another sigh, the Headmaster finally nodded at the short teen and left the cafeteria, muttering to himself. Everyone watched the masked man go for a moment before turning their gazes to look at each other; Yuu walked forward a little to stand just a few feet in front of them, the contents of the plastic in their hand making soft, clinking sounds with their movements. Deuce idly wondered what was inside of the bag.

“...Hello again, Ace.” Yuu was the first to break the silence, their free hand held loosely at their side as they looked at the ginger-head. It was as if their eyes were gazing into Ace’s soul, and the irises that seemed to glow flickered to look over at Grim from time to time. They weren’t smiling, but their expression wasn’t unkind.

“ _Uhhhh_...sup, Yuu?” Ace replied awkwardly…...before jabbing the thumb of his gloved hand at Grim. “By the way, all of this happened because he was running away from the window punishm--”

“You were the one who ran away first!” Grim snarled, the fur on his back standing on end. “If you hadn’t--!”

“Lord Grim. Ace.” Yuu called out coolly, and their eyebrows are now pinched together slightly, though their overall expression was still calm.

Deuce was amazed when the ginger-head and cat actually went silent--just because the shorter teen called their names. The navy-haired teen was a little confused with Yuu’s current place in this school. Were they a student despite not wanting to end up at Night Raven College in the first place? Were they a staff member? Deuce was quickly drawn out of his thoughts and stood up straighter when Yuu’s gaze fell upon him next. The furrow between their eyebrows faded, and they sent a tentative smile at Deuce, making the Heartslabyul student relax a little at the sight.

“I’m sorry that you ended up getting dragged into this.” They say--and they really apologize a lot for things that were out of their control, don’t they? “You can call me Yuu, Mr….?”

“A-Ah, my name is Deuce. Deuce Spade.” The Heartslabyul freshman quickly replied with a small smile, stretching a gloved hand out for Yuu to shak--Deuce blinked his eyes with surprise when the shorter teen flinched back a little.

Before Deuce could retract his hand in confusion, Yuu reached out. Deuce wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw a slight tremble in their small, thin fingers before they tried to wrap around his hand; the navy-haired teen couldn’t help but study the tiny scars nicking their knuckles and their fingers for a moment. Yuu smiled nervously at Deuce, giving a quick, loose shake of their hand with his before releasing their grip.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Spade.” They reply with that scratchy, soft voice of theirs.

“‘Deuce’ is just fine, Mx. Yuu.” Deuce quickly protested, and the shorter teen smiled. Were they older than him despite their height? Yuu acted like they were older.

“Then just ‘Yuu’ will be fine with me as well.” Yuu replied, and Deuce felt his awkward smile strengthen a little.

“Can we get going now?” Ace complained, and Deuce frowned at the ginger-head’s rudeness--though the navy-haired teen silently felt the same. They have to get a magic core-crystal by tomorrow morning or the three of them will end up being expelled.

Yuu merely nodded their head at Ace and stepped to the side; it was apparent that they wanted someone else to take the lead. And so the ginger-head walked forward and made his way out of the cafeteria, Deuce quickly following. Grim was floating after the two Heartslabyul students, but then Deuce noted how the cat paused for a moment, looking back at something.

When Deuce was just out of the cafeteria doors, the naby-haired student looked back into the wrecked room and followed Grim’s gaze to Yuu, who was still standing where they were. The shorter teen was saying something to the air in front of them, but Deuce couldn’t quite make out their words with how softly they were speaking. They then lifted the plastic bag up and placed it down onto a table before... _bowing_ to the room? What? Even Grim was staring at the short teen with confusion before they quickly made their way over to the cafeteria door.

“U-Um...what were you doing, Yuu?” Deuce decided to ask as the shorter teen came to a stop beside the navy-haired student and Grim.

“Just apologizing to the ones working here. I left them something small for their hard work.” Yuu replied simply as they smiled mysteriously at Deuce before walking on ahead. “Let’s get going for now. Ace is almost at the end of the hallway.”

Looking over at Grim, the cat merely shrugged before floating after Yuu. Deuce was lost for a moment...before he shook his head, sighing to himself; he had far more important things to worry about rather than Yuu’s mysteriousness. Glancing at the empty cafeteria before he left, Deuce thought he caught a glimpse of...tiny, glowing figures flitting around the plastic bag on the table; there was also faint, tinkling laughter in the air. The navy-haired teen merely sighed and quickly jogged down the hall to quickly catch up with the others.

~~

“May I...ask about your relationship with Grim? It’s very...odd.” Deuce decided to ask as they made their way down a dirt path covered in patches of overgrown grass and weeds. Ace was on the left of the navy-haired teen while Yuu was at his right. Occasionally, Grim floated ahead before eventually returning to drift at Yuu’s right side.

“I’m Lord Grim’s henchman.” Yuu replied instantly with a small smile, and Deuce gaped slightly at the shorter teen. Floating behind Yuu’s turned head, Grim grinned proudly, puffing his chest up. Honestly, Deuce wanted to hear a bit more backstory than that.

“Just go with it.” Deuce heard Ace whisper to him, and the navy-haired teen turned his head to look at the ginger-head. “Yuu’s just a little weird.”

Deuce frowned at the other Heartslabyul student. Didn’t Ace realize that Yuu had been the one to save all of their asses from expulsion on the spot? The ginger-head should be grateful to Yuu...though, they _are_ a bit strange. So many things have happened to him after school had ended, and Yuu was just adding onto the whirlwind of thoughts running rampant through his head. However, right now, Deuce just wanted to get the core-crystal and head back to the school; that was all he had to focus on at the moment.

The four of them briefly stop at...some sort of cottage after they crossed a wooden bridge arching over a sparkling river. They wanted to ask some questions about the mine, but the little home was abandoned and covered in a heavy layer of dust. Looking at the small chairs and beds scattered around, Deuce frowned faintly and wondered if a family had lived near the Dwarf Mines before they unfortunately closed; it made the navy-haired student feel a little sad for the inhabitants of the cottage that were no longer here.

Before they left, Yuu stayed at the entrance of the cottage for a long moment, seemingly lost in thought before they followed after Deuce, Ace, and Grim. Finally, the group saw the entrance of the mine just a handful of yards away, the road becoming harder to discern from the grass lining the edges of the dirt path.

“...I smell ink.” Yuu whispered softly once they all slowed to a stop at the entrance.

The two Heartslabyul students and Grim looked at Yuu with confusion, but they were gazing intently into the darkness of the mine. Deuce turned his gaze back to the mine, shivering when cold air brushed his cheeks. The entrance alone looked ominous; it was too dark to peer inside, and the roots of the tree growing above it looked like creeping, spindly fingers slowly edging their way over the opening.

“Uh...we gotta go in...th- _there_?” Grim hissed, tail lashing around. Deuce noted the slight tremor in the cat’s voice.

“What, ya’ scared, raccoon?” Ace sneered at the feline--though Deuce caught the slight furrow between the ginger-head’s eyebrows. Was Ace worried about whatever could be inside the mine as well? Deuce had to admit that he was feeling uneasy as well. Yuu seemed the most calm about this situation.

“Wh-- _no_! The Great Lord Grim is **_not_** scared!” Grim snapped back, floating a little higher as he crossed his arms; however, the cat’s tail continued to lash around agitatedly. “I bet _you’re_ the one who’s scared, stupid jerk!”

“Oh, you want a _rematch_ , **_pipsqu_** \--?”

“We’re _not_ here to argue!” Deuce huffed as he stepped forward slightly to block the Ace and Grim’s view of each other. The navy-haired freshman was careful to not trip over the rusted minecart rails below his feet. “All we need to do is find a magic crystal and bring it back to the Headmaster! We can bicker later.”

“Who put you in charge?” Ace mocked back, and Deuce felt a vein pulse at his temple.

“I don’t take orders from the likes of you, lowly human.” Grim scoffed. Deuce was getting really inclined to strangle this little--!

“ ** _Stop_**.” Yuu cut in, and there was something sharp and cold in their voice that made the other three pause; Deuce shivered when he felt something in the air for a moment. _Magic_? Ace and Grim froze, and Deuce sent a wary look over to Yuu. Their expression was still calm...but their blazing eyes stared them down. “...As Deuce said...we just need a magic crystal to bring back. Right now, we won’t get anything done if we all fight.”

Once again, Deuce admired the authority Yuu managed to use to instantly silence Ace and Grim’s bickering. Although Ace made a face and Grim frowned, the two said nothing to each other for a long moment. The ginger-head then sighed, throwing his hands up into the air before he began making his way into the mine.

“Fine. _Fine_! Let’s just get the crappy crystal and get out of here.” Ace huffed as he then lowered his hands and reached into his breast pocket for his pen.

Muttering a spell, the gem lit up a little, casting a soft, red glow over the area. It wasn’t very bright, but it was better than nothing; Deuce brought out his own pen to do the same. Grim didn’t really have to do anything, the flames at the tips of his ears casting a blue glow over everything. The light from their pens and Grim’s ears mixed a little, purple light flickering on the rough, stone walls of the entrance. The three of them made their way…..wait, the _three_ of them?

Deuce blinked. Ace was in front of him...Grim was a bit behind Deuce, and Yuu was...by the entrance? Ace and Grim noticed as well, and they turned to look at the opening of the mine, where Yuu was still standing.

“What’s the h-hold up, henchman?” Grim was the first to prompt.

It was apparent that the cat was still uncomfortable with being in the mine, his fur standing end, but he was further inside compared to Yuu. Deuce was concerned when Yuu didn’t respond. It was a bit hard to see their expression with the moonlight shining from behind them, casting shadows over their face. Were they alright? 

“Aw, Yuu, are you scared?” Ace teased once he moved a good few feet further into the cave, voice slightly echoing. The ginger-head waved his pen around, the red glow of his gem following his movements. Despite the bad lighting, Deuce could see the little smirk on Ace’s face.

“A little.” Came Yuu’s response, and Ace stuttered to a stop at the instant, honest reply.

“...What?” Ace laughed a little, though it sounded unsure. When he turned to look at the entrance, Deuce could see his amber eyes glow a little, reflecting the glow of his gem and the moonlight that managed to reach this far into the cave. “Are you...afraid of the dark?”

“...I’m...mildly uncomfortable with enclosed spaces, to be honest with you all…” Yuu murmured softly. They were... _claustrophobic_? Deuce sent a concerned look over at Yuu, who was still standing at the entrance of the mine. The navy-haired teen moved his way back towards the opening, and Yuu’s face became a little more visible. He was startled by the... ** _murky_** look within their gaze...before they blinked their eyes rapidly, as if coming back to themself. A crooked smile-- _fragile-looking_ \--managed to appear on their face, and their next few words were apologetic. “A-Ah, but I’m wasting our time. I’ve been in a few caves and mines before when I was...little, so I should be sucking it up.”

 _What the hell were you doing in those caves and mines when you were a kid_ , Deuce wanted to ask. Maybe Yuu and their family liked...hiking and going into mountains? That was plausible--though Yuu just didn’t seem to be the type of person who did those kinds of things. Well, Deuce could be wrong.

“I’m sure you can stay outside if you are uncomfortable, Yuu.” Deuce offered, eyebrows pinched together with worry.

“... _Someone_ has to keep an eye on you three and make sure you don’t fight.” Yuu then managed to say, a cheeky look that Deuce had never seen before entering their gaze. Their smile gained a little more strength and they exhaled, shutting their eyes for a moment. After a handful of seconds, they opened their eyes once more. “Sorry for wasting all of your time. Let’s get going.”

After about ten minutes of searching and finding beautiful, colorful, yet unfortunately, normal crystals along the walls, the four of them run into a group of ghosts. It was when the three humans and a monster entered a more open area linked to various tunnels, that the ghosts appeared, laughing and circling the group. The spirits made comments about games, pranks, and new friends. Grim puffed up briefly, hissing loudly. Ace and Deuce had jumped, alarmed and prepared to defend themselves against the ghosts, but Yuu quickly intervened. 

“I’m sorry that we’re invading your space.” Yuu said as they bowed a little, and the ghosts paused in their actions, watching the short teen with mild surprise. They obviously weren’t expecting those words to be the first to fall from Yuu’s mouth. “My companions and I are here to find a magic core-crystal. I know it might not matter to all of you, but they really need one. We’re sorry to disturb you, but we’re not here to do anything else--I promise.”

There was a brief pause, each group glancing at their companions for a moment, contemplating. The ghosts were the first to break the silence, voices cheerful and friendly.

“Aw, well aren’t you a polite one, ya’ little ankle-biter!” The second ghost chortled merrily at Yuu before looking over at the first phantom. “Hey, can we keep them? _Pleeease_?”

“Yer’ all lookin’ for a...magic crystal?” The first ghost asked Yuu, ignoring the second phantom’s words as he crossed his arms, looking at the short teen with bemusement. “You all should know that this place has been closed down for a good long while…”

“But you’ve seen one?” Deuce interjected hopefully, overcoming his wariness with desperation. They had to find a crystal--soon. But the navy-haired student’s eyebrows furrowed when the ghost seemed to... _shiver_? It didn’t look like the phantom did it because he was cold--rather, he was...remembering something? The first ghost looked away, his pale face a mix of emotions.

“W- _Well_ , even if we did tell you…” The third ghost murmured to himself, looking extremely troubled as he fiddled with his cloak. “I-I don’t know if it’ll be a good idea for y’all to look for it…”

 ** _Why_**? Deuce was getting frustrated. It could take hours to look through the entire mine without directions. Looking around briefly at the walls and tunnels filled with non-magical crystal, Deuce was feeling a little hopeless. Earlier, he was worried about time, but now he was concerned about finding a single damn magic crystal in this place-- 

Out of the corner of his eye, Deuce saw Yuu abruptly tense up beside him, and the navy-haired freshman looked over at the shorter teen with concern. He had been keeping an occasional eye on them as they all went deeper into the mine, and Yuu had been a little skittish, eyes darting around the area. Deuce had been prepared to help guide them back out of the mine if they didn’t want to be here anymore.

Right now, their gaze focused on something that wasn’t the ghosts around them, head tilted slightly to the side as if they were listening closely to something. While Ace and Grim continued to ask the ghosts questions about the place, Deuce watched as Yuu shifted their feet slightly, facing one of the tunnels that led deeper into the mine. The navy-haired Heartslabyul student thought he saw a flicker of blue flames lick at Yuu’s fingertips, but then his gaze was drawn to the dark entrance of the tunnel they were looking at. He squinted, trying to peer into the darkness, but he couldn’t see anything.

“Yuu...?” Deuce decided to call out tentatively--but he snapped his mouth shut when Yuu jerked a hand up into the air for silence. This actually caught the attention of the others, and they fell silent too, everyone listening to their surroundings.

First…...there was nothing. Deuce strained his hearing, wondering what was making Yuu act like this. Grim then seemed to be the next one to tense, ears twitching on top of his head, nose scrunching, fur standing up, and tail lashing around nervously. What was--? And then Deuce heard something soft.

“ **...øn’t....iv..e....ø....ne...** ”

Was that...a voice? Was it just another ghost? When Deuce glanced over at the ghosts already here with them, he felt worried when he saw that the mischievous phantoms look so...fearful. Deuce snapped his gaze back over to the tunnel Yuu was staring at when he heard something...metal scrap along a stone surface. There were also heavy footsteps. Frick, he still couldn’t really see anything in there.

“...H-Hey, if you rug-rats don’t wanna get hurt, you should leave while ya’ still can!” One of the phantoms said nervously. When Deuce glanced over at the ghosts, he was astonished to see that a few of them had already gone, one spirit vanishing and another.

“ **SšSśtØne...! Mi..ne....ït’s... _mÿ_ StoNę...!**” The voice is much louder now, and Deuce shivered at how... _raspy_ and **_warped_** it sounded. What...what the _hell_ was coming their way?

Deuce’s question was answered within a few seconds.

What stepped out of the tunnel was...something Deuce had never seen before. Deuce felt a chill spread throughout his body as he stared at the... ** _monstrosity_** in front of him. It was dressed in a ragged, red, long sleeve button up covered in patches, and on its legs and feet were long, brown pants and pointed shoes; on its...head was a floppy hat. But Deuce wasn’t really paying attention to its clothes.

It’s... _head_...it’s **_face_** …...it was some sort of large glass jar of black liquid, which seeped out and dripped onto the floor like obsidian blood, reflecting the glow of Ace and Deuce’s pens and Grim’s lit ears. Deuce felt some sort of... ** _darkness_** seep out, sucking all of the warmth in the area away, leaving them to feel... _cold_. The navy-haired teen’s gaze nervously went down to the large pickaxe in its hand, the heavy metal part resting upon the ground; that was probably the cause of the scraping sound he heard earlier. A dark miasma surrounded the monstrosity as it ‘looked’ at them without eyes, growling and gurgling. And then...it spoke once more, shattering the tense silence it had created with its presence.

“ **Ł E Ê E Ę A V E !** ” It screamed, and Deuce had to resist the urge to hold his hands over his ears, eyes widening with alarm--a bright ball of blue flames abruptly struck the monster in its side, causing it to stumble.

Deuce and Ace’s gazes immediately went towards Grim, but the cat was looking back at them both with confusion and terror; the three then looked over at Yuu, who had blue flames licking at the fingertips of their left hand, their bright eyes narrowed sharply.

“Everyone, find cover!” Yuu barked as they summoned another ball of flames, and Deuce found himself quickly obeying those words without question as the demonic creature wailed at all of them--before Yuu’s second attack struck it once more, smoke filling the area and obscuring them all. The creature began to swing its pickaxe around blindly and violently. Shit, _shit_ , **_shit_** \--!

“Woah!” Ace shouted when the pickaxe nearly hit him.

The ginger-head cursed up a storm aloud as he darted around the area, finding cover behind a tipped-over mining cart, Grim following after the amber-eyed teen despite disliking him; the cat was obviously too focused on the new threat to think about past events right now. Deuce moved towards a formation of rocks beside the mining cart, Yuu at his back, and for some reason, it felt like the shorter teen was ushering him forward like a protective mother hen to her chick. Deuce and Yuu quickly hid behind the rocks, and the navy-haired teen tried to calm his breathing, heart beating loudly in his ears.

With wide eyes, Deuce peered past the rocks to keep track of where the monster was now. The navy-haired student wondered if it saw where all of them hid, but the abomination was fortunately stumbling towards a different area of the spacious mine, hacking and groaning as it moved in search of three humans and a cat.

“ **W Ø N ‘ ~~T~~ . . .G ~~I~~ V Ę E Ê Ę ~~E~~ . . . !**” It groaned. Crap, what were they all gonna do in this situation? “ **W ø o O Ø o ~~O~~ n ‘ t g - g Ï v e . . . ~~T~~ H Ê S T Ö Ø O Ø Ö Ø N E !**”

The demonic being howled into the air around it, mutterin to itself still as it swung its pickaxe through the air agai--...wait a second. Deuce widened his eyes a little. _Did it just_ …!?

“ ** _Wait_** , did you all hear what it said?” Deuce then abruptly came to a realization, back straightening slightly in his crouched position.

“No, I was too distracted by the _eldritch **abomination**_ **_murderously_** swinging its pickaxe at us!” Ace whisper-shouted in response with a deadpan expression as he glanced over at Deuce, who looked frustrated.

“Well, I’m certain it mentioned something about a stone!” Deuce hissed back sharply, quickly darting his gaze around the area. “It could be talking about a magic crystal!”

If this...monster was guarding a magic crystal, it had to be somewhere nearby, _right_? Deuce quickly darted his gaze over to the tunnel where the creature had come from. It was a little far, and it was dark. Deuce strained his eyes, wondering if he might be wro-- _wait_ …! Over there! Just a few meters within the tunnel that the demonic being had left, there was a soft glow that magic crystals would show off compared to the other glittering gems within this mine. All they had to do was grab that gem and get out of here!

“There’s a magic crystal--right over there in that tunnel! The one that the monster came from.” Deuce quietly, yet quickly, reported, trying his best to form a plan despite the sudden situation. “If we distract the monster first, we can go and grab it. And then we can run--!”

“Are you **_crazy_**!?” Ace hissed, gloved fingers wrapped tightly around his pen as his burning, amber gaze looked over at Deuce with disbelief; Grim trembled like a leaf in the wind beside the ginger-head.

“Th-There’s n-n- _no_ **_way_** I’m gonna r-risk my life for that!” Grim stuttered badly, fur puffed up as his tail curled around himself.

Damn it. Deuce stared at Ace and Grim with frustration before turning his gaze to Yuu. The navy-haired teen felt his heart deflate a little when he immediately deciphered the _disapproval_ in Yuu’s gaze; they didn’t like Deuce’s plan. But... ** _but_** …! _Crap_ , he was _hoping_ that at least Yuu would understand a little. But then...if _no one_ was going to take the chance to get that crystal--

“Deuce.” Yuu said tensely as they watched the navy-haired first-year with narrowed, knowing eyes. “ _Deuce_ , don’t do it alone. We need to get out of here first and--”

“I’m _sorry_ , Yuu, but what if something happens when we retreat? What if the crystal is no longer there by the time we get back here with a plan? What if this...th-this _thing_ takes it deeper into the mine?” Deuce whispered back harshly, his grip tightening around his pen as he concentrated on his magic. He felt a little guilty at the panic that was starting to seep into Yuu’s gaze. “I-I’m really sorry...but this may be our only chance to get that crystal! I’m _going_.”

“I can’t protect you all at once if you do thi-- _Deuce_!”

Before Yuu could say anything else, Deuce sprung out and drew his pen through the air sharply. All he could think of was the spell he used earlier that day, summoning and dropping a heavy cauldron onto the head of the monster. The abomination let out a choked noise, and Deuce heard the cracking of glass as it staggered from where it was on the opposite side of the open area. Deuce took this as his chance to run to the tunnel with the magic crystal. He had to do this. If he didn’t, his mother would be--!

“ ** _DEUCE_**!” The navy-haired teen heard Yuu call out to him sharply.

Deuce gritted his teeth when he heard footsteps rush towards him, catching up with the Heartslabyul student quickly. Was Yuu trying to stop him? Couldn’t they just understand that he needed to get this crystal? Deuce screeched to a halt in his running, prepared to confront Yuu as he quickly spun around to face them--and all words died in his throat when he saw that the monster was now looming over him, pickaxe raised high in the air.

…

… _Crap_. The abomination was much faster than he expected. Deuce wanted to move--he really did, but his legs suddenly didn’t respond to his wishes. The navy-haired teen did lift his pen up though, trying to think of a spell that could help him in this situation. But everything was happening too fast. **_Shit_**.

“ **G ø . . . ~~A~~ W A Ÿ ~~Y~~ Ÿ Y!**” The demonic being roared, its voice reverberating through Deuce’s head as black liquid leaked from its head and splattered onto the ground below. Deuce was sure that something red would soon join the mess on the cold, stone floor.

...Deuce braced himself as the pickaxe swung through the air...and there was an audible ‘ ** _CRUNCH_** ’ when the metal curve slammed into…

…

... _ **Yuu** ’s back_.

Deuce, who had been abruptly pushed backwards, distantly heard Ace and Grim inhale sharply or cry out with horror, but all of the falling navy-haired teen’s attention was on Yuu, whose face twisted into a sharp grimace...before their weight-- _which was concerningly light_ \--abruptly fell upon him, the both of them hitting the ground harshly.

They... ** _saved_** him, Deuce belatedly realized with growing shock as he laid there on the unforgiving ground, as if everything was suddenly hitting him at once. _Shit_. Yuu took a direct blow for the navy-haired teen because of his reckless charge towards the magic crystal. Their...th-their spine must be...shattered…!

This was all his fault! Panic rising within him, Deuce shakily wrapped his arms around Yuu, but his hands hovered over their back; he couldn’t see the extent of the damage now, and he was unsure if he would make it worse if he touched them. The navy-haired Heartlabyul freshman cursed up a storm in his head at his own carelessness while calling the shorter teen’s name out loud with worry.

“ ** _YUU_**!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Canon Twisted Wonderland: The Leech brothers and Ruggie aren't supposed to show up until later! >:0
> 
> Me: Reality can be anything I want. :D *Thanos-snaps Canon Twisted Wonderland out of existence.*


	5. Dwarves, Ink Stains, and Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blot-monster: **A09$6^7*$#jj8(7%$**
> 
> Yuu: Understandable. Have a nice day. (*´-`)  
> Ace, Deuce, and Grim: * _Screams in terror._ * D: D: D:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for pretty much disappearing. This chapter is much longer than the others, but it's no excuse for being away for so long. > \- < ;;
> 
> To be honest, I don't think I'll be able to post again anytime soon. School's pretty rough at the moment. :'(((
> 
> Still, I hope to get the next chapter out soon, and I hope you guys enjoy this one. Here's some hot chocolate and cookies before you start. Thank you guys for your patience. :D <3

It is only your second day here in this alternate world, yet you’ve ended up meeting many more people than you had expected. You’re not used to drawing this much attention to yourself without really doing anything-- _well_ , you admit that you had already gathered quite the amount of attention from strangers with the entrance ceremony...and now this morning’s fiasco, in which you dubbed the Statue Incident.

The first new face you met today was named Ace Trappola. He seemed friendly, however, despite Ace’s easy-going smile and relaxed posture, his eyes told you a different story. He was good at putting on a mask, but you could easily see the cracks; he wasn’t perfect, but he was a little better than average. Still, you ended up deciding not to do anything since nothing harmful had come from Ace yet, but you would be ready to make the ginger-head back off if things got too messy.

And then you learned about the Seven of this world, and it was...a bit shocking. They were respected as great wielders of magic, and the stories about them... _well_ , the tales about them made the Seven sound like... _good_ role models... ** _heroes_**. You sensed the Seven either preen, cringe, scoff, or be silent at the words that came from Ace’s mouth, and all you could do was gaze at each statue as the ginger-haired student gave a backstory for them.

You yourself wasn’t too sure how to feel about all of this. You suppose a part of you feels happy that no words of ridicule were all that you could hear about the Seven; Ace was practically praising them, and you felt a little warm because of that. On the other hand, it was just another thing to add on to the confusion swirling around within you. What could have happened in this world for the Seven to become so _admired_?

And then...the Statue Incident occurred. To put it simply, Ace showed his true colors, Grim got angry, a fight broke out, a statue was nearly burned, and a certain, angry Headmaster arrived at the end to put a stop to all of that. You seriously felt an urge to take a nap right then and there despite the risk of having another nightmare.

In your honest opinion, Ace was...well...he doesn’t come close to the worst people you’ve ever met, but he certainly made you want to face-palm yourself multiple times. You did get a bit angry when Ace continued to provoke and insult Grim though. While the actions of the feline last night are something that deserves punishment, Ace did not need to antagonize Grim, who was reluctantly willing to do some manual labor to pay back for the chaos and damages he caused at the school. 

All in all, Ace was pretty low on the list of worst people you had ever met. However...the ginger might have been bumped up the list a little when he nearly burned the statue of the Queen of Hearts; she had been quite displeased with both Ace and Grim when that had occured, and you imagined her face reddening with fury.

{How…! How **_dare_** these two mongrels…!} The Queen of Hearts hissed, and you sense her anger stirring in the back of your head; your fingers twitch for the Red Queen’s battleaxe that hasn’t been summoned into your hand yet. With a small grimace, you try to send soothing and calm feelings down the bond to her to help her relax while watching as Headmaster Crowley gave out a punishment to both Ace and Grim. Cleaning 100 windows? That will certainly be a pain in the ass to do. {My dear, _sweet_ , little hedgehog...we should beHEAD THEM--!}

‘Queen Hearts, I know you’re angry.’ You reply softly in your head. ‘But please...calm down. They’re just...young and irresponsible kids…?’

{Aren’t _you_ a kid too though? You seem like you’re about this ginger-guy’s age. _Maaaaybe_ a bit younger.} Lord Hades snorted, and you imagine his smokey fingers making a seesaw motion. {Heh, you should start acting all irresponsible like those two goofs then. It might give that birdbrain some well-deserved gray hairs on his head.}

‘It wouldn’t be a good idea to cause trouble, Lord Bonfire.’ You smile wearily before trying to joke a little. ‘Besides, our circumstances are a bit different from others, so I have to act a bit like an adult for these two children.’

You never meant for the Seven in your head to abruptly grow silent at your last few words, and the emotions coming from them was solemn; even the Queen of Hearts had calmed to a slightly sorrowful silence in an instant. You shift your feet a little nervously, one hand going up to squeeze your opposite wrist before rubbing it as you watch Headmaster Crowley begin to tell the bystander students to get to their classes.

‘...I’m sorry. I said something wrong.’ You internally murmur guiltily, smiling crookedly at Headmaster Crowley in farewell as he walked past you briskly with a little head nod before going towards the main school building. This now left Ace, Grim, you, and the Seven in your head on Main Street.

{ _No_. You have not said anything wrong, dear Dragon-Child.} Mistress Maleficent said sternly.

{Yeah, you haven't said or done anything wrong, kid. It’s just our urge to go back and maliciously raze the Kingdom of Fantasia to the ground has suddenly increased.} Lord Hades said nonchalantly, though there was a slight tightness to his voice.

{Hmm...I bet it wouldn’t even take a day.} Lord Jafar said with some thoughtfulness, as if he was calmly planning an outing and not the destruction of an entire kingdom.

You sense agreement among the Seven, and the corners of your lips can’t help but quirk up slightly with amusement. Despite what the Kingdom has done to you, you really shouldn’t condone this kind of behavior, but the urge to laugh is a bit strong as you walk forward a little to stand closer to Grim and Ace. At least the Queen of Hearts is much calmer now.

~~

Once again, you have unexpectedly drawn the attention of another person. When you were making sure that Grim was not burning the bushes he was trimming, you turned your attention to the person whose eyes you felt burning into your back. He was tall-- _extremely_ tall. Perhaps the teal-haired student was taller than Mr. Horns, if you didn’t count the horns.

His teal hair was short, a few locks sticking up messily, his bangs swept to his right side of his face, and a single darker strand of hair went down to his jawline. He had heterochromatic eyes, one an eerie yellow hue and the other was brown. He seemed surprised that you made eye-contact with him...before grinning widely as if he had found something extremely interesting.

To your mild surprise, the teal-haired teen starts to cross the courtyard you’re sweeping in, heading towards you with that grin still on his face. You eye the other students in the halls oblivious to, or choosing to ignore, what was happening in the courtyard. Doesn’t this teal-haired student have another class to go to as well? Ah, but now that he was closer, you see that his heterochromatic eyes were actually gold and a soft olive color, and they glimmered with a dangerous, yet child-like mischievousness; some sunlight reflecting off of the earring on his right ear made bits of aqua dance within the depths of his irises.

His school uniform, of course, had the same design as the ones you have seen so far. However, this teal-haired student’s clothes were...messy, to put it simply; it was as if he didn’t like wearing clothes but haphazardly put them on for the sake of decency. His white undershirt was untucked, his suit jacket was unbuttoned so you could immediately see the pale, bluish, gray, gold-lined vest that only had the first button done, and he was missing the black-and-white tie that usually went with the uniform. Perhaps the neatest thing about his uniform was the gray and pale lavender armband around his left bicep, which was tied on properly.

{Ugh, he’s even sloppier than that impudent Trappola-child…!} Queen Grimhilde hissed in your head as you warily eye the teal-haired teen before you, tightening your grip slightly around your broom.

You don’t think you’ve done anything big to attract attention to yourself; all you have been doing for the past two hours was sweep in different areas while keeping an eye on Grim, but this teal-haired student was looking at you like you had recently done some sort of fancy trick in front of him. You tried to sense what his magic was like, but it was... _slippery_ , hard to grasp. And his...teeth; they looked sharper than what an average human would have. That meant...he wasn’t human. Was he a beastman, a fae, or something else? You couldn’t really tell, and you didn't have time to think about it when he started to ask you questions.

He was apparently curious about what you were doing here with Grim, and you had explained easily enough. The teal-haired teen just kept smiling while observing you, and it made you slightly nervous, but you sensed nothing...too malicious about him. He seemed to be an unpredictable sort of person. However, compared to Ace, he seemed a bit more open to show what he was currently feeling, scrunching up his nose when he disliked something, or grinning broadly when he felt happy. Still...you felt that there was a very distinct hint of something dangerous underneath all of that.

{Ah, he reminds me of my darling Flotsam.} Mistress Ursula had suddenly pointed out, and you couldn’t help but blink in idle surprise at that thought. Now that you really looked at the taller teen……huh, you suppose those eyes also made you think about one of Mistress Ursula’s dear companions.

You then blink again, realizing that you might have been staring too much during the lull in the conversation, but then you note how the teal-haired student seems to be observing you in return, his smile fading slightly as his head tilted a bit with thoughtfulness. You were confused to see curiosity and familiarity forming within the taller’s gaze the more he looked at you.

He ends up finally introducing himself to you. His name was Floyd, and, like Ace, he disliked the use of honorifics from you. Despite hesitantly giving your own name to Floyd, he kept on calling you ‘Shrimpy,’ but you find yourself not minding it; the little nickname actually made you smile a little with amusement--and then you saw Grim a few meters behind Floyd. The feline was about to use his fire magic to _burn_ away the excess branches on a bush, forgoing the pair of shears you gave him. And so, with a rushed apology, you then left Floyd behind to stop Grim from creating even more chaos.

“ _Grim_ …!” You continued to call out to the feline the moment you reached the cat-monster by the courtyard’s bushes. You yanked him backwards a little by the scruff of his fur while waving your hand through the air to extinguish the little flame that was about to spread on one of the branches with your magic. You released Grim with a sigh before you bent down to swipe the shears up from the grassy ground. You paused for a moment, trying to decide on what to say to stop Grim from burning the bushes while not angering him. “...Lord Grim, you are quite powerful, yes?”

“Huh?” Grim blinked, dumbfounded for a moment before puffing up with pride, ears perking up and tail swaying happily, wide, blue eyes glowing a little. “W-Well, of course I am, henchman! The Great Lord Grim can cast powerful spells with a simple wave of my paw~!”

“Then you must understand why I gave you those shears.” You continue as you stand straight, smiling softly when Grim frowns slightly with confusion. “You are very powerful, Lord Grim, so these bushes won’t be able to handle your strength.”

Grim contemplated your words for a moment, seemingly frustrated that he would have to, logically, continue to use the shears to complete his task of trimming the bushes. On the other hand, judging by the still happy sway of his tail, Grim didn’t seem to mind the extra work he had to go through because of your words of praise about his strength. With a huff, Grim then accepted the shears in your hands and started to go back to work, and you smiled a little as he went back to work.

“Just you wait, human! I’ll be done with this before you’re done with your task.” Grim said proudly.

“I am pretty slow at doing things.” You agreed with a chuckle. To be honest, you were done with sweeping up the entire courtyard. All you were doing now was pretty much supervising the feline while pretending to still work. “I’m certain the Great Lord Grim will finish before me.”

{Hm...our Diamond has quite the silvertongue.} Lord Jafar said smugly, a smirk in his voice as you watch Grim snip away at the branches awkwardly sticking out of the bushes.

{Yeah, I _wonder_ where they got it from.} Lord Hades muttered sarcastically.

{I think a bit of all of us are responsible for that.} Mistress Ursula chuckled. {We all have very glib tongues that either builds a person up or tears them down.}

You then shivered for a moment when you sensed a pair of eyes on you, but instead of turning, you decided to keep your eyes on Grim for just a bit longer while trying to get a sense of who could be watching you now. At first, you thought Floyd was watching you again, but you felt that the one looking at you was someone different this time.

After a few more minutes of watching Grim, you heard Floyd call out to the cat-monster and you, saying his farewells; he was apparently going to class after all. You wondered what had changed his mind, but you smiled a little as you prepared to wave goodbye to the teal-haired teen. And so, you turned your gaze from Grim once more, gaze connecting with a pair of bicolored eyes.

When you had caught sight of a duplicate of Floyd-- _you say ‘duplicate’ because you see Floyd still standing there beside his carbon copy_ \--you had been briefly startled, wondering if there was some sort of cloning spell being used at the moment. But then you noted how this other, tall, teal-haired student’s magic was different from Floyd’s; it felt... _hazy_ , similar to when you use Lord Jafar’s hypnosis spells. Was this a person disguising themself as Floyd? Why?

But then...the longer you studied the newcomer, the more you noted the slight differences between Floyd and his double. Firstly, the other teal-haired student's left eye was gold while his right one was olive; his earring was also attached to his left ear. Secondly, this person’s teal hair was neatly brushed, and his bangs went to his left side of his face, a darker strand also going down to his jawline. Lastly, he had black gloves on both hands, his clothes were properly buttoned, and he was wearing his tie; Queen Grimhilde felt quite pleased at the sight.

So did all of that mean...Floyd and this newcomer were... _twins_?

You watched as Floyd’s twin(?) stared at you for a long moment...before the corners of his lips lifted upwards with amusement, and you shivered. You’re not too sure, but you feel that Floyd’s possible brother was a bit more... _sinister_. Floyd jauntily waved at Grim and you before exiting the courtyard, his twin brother nodding his head in acknowledgement-- _without taking his eyes, curved with amusement, off of you, what the heck_ \--before he turned to also walk out of the area.

When both twins were finally gone from view, you felt your shoulders lower from their tense position, and you exhaled long and slow, leaning onto your broom a little. You were just getting used to Floyd, but then his possible twin brother came along, seemingly more mysterious and conniving. Ugh...now you feel a little exhausted after that little first meeting with Floyd and technically his twin. Would it be a good idea to hide if you were to ever run into them again?

At the same time...you wanted to learn more about them. It’s like your first meeting with Mr. Horns; while you were wary of the draconic fae, there was something _familiar_ about him that made you relax a little more when around him, compared to your other first meetings with strangers. The same wary-yet-calm feeling was occuring after your little meeting with Floyd. Despite the slight danger you sensed, and the fact that you’ve never met Floyd or his twin before, you wanted to get to know those two better. Argh, did you hit your head? Your reaction around strangers now is...weird.

{Such charming darlings, don’t you think, Guppy?} Mistress Ursula hummed, and you could only smile nervously in response. Those twins must really remind her of a certain pair of eel-familiars that were currently resting at the moment.

Sure. Those twins were _charming_...in a threatening way, but perhaps it was too soon to judge them? You still feel a little jittery, nervous around new faces. You were less nervous around Ace since he was easier to read. Floyd and his brother on the other hand……you’ll have to be careful in the future. Perhaps you should send one of your familiars around the school to gather information on Floyd, his twin, and other dangerous individuals--? _No_ , that sounded wrong. This was a **_school_** , not some sort of battlefiel--

“Who were those guys?” Grim suddenly broke through your thoughts with his question. You blinked and looked over at the cat-monster, and he was looking at you with a small frown on his face. Before you could answer, Grim continued to speak. “...Were they bothering you, henchman?”

You blinked again with surprise. You weren’t quite sure, but you thought there was...concern in Grim’s voice. Ah, but you couldn’t get ahead of yourself. Still, something warm settled in your chest and a smile appeared on your lips as you replied.

“It’s nothing, Lord Grim.” You said as you adjust your grip on your broom, idly noting the ring of the bell for the next class to finally start in the background. “Shall we get back to finishing our tasks here?”

~~

{Huh……did someone stick a ‘Pay attention to me’ sign to your back, Matchstick? There’s a lot more people focusing on you than usual.} Lord Hades muttered to you as you tried to ignore the eyes that kept returning to your back.

‘I honestly have no idea what I could be doing to attract this much attention, Lord Bonfire.’ You replied mentally with some exhaustion, dragging your hand over your face as you watch Grim take a big bite of his sandwich through your fingers. ‘...Perhaps it’s because of the presence of Grim beside me. I’m pretty sure seeing a monster in school is a rare and odd sight to see.’

For the past ten minutes, you have been sensing the burning gaze of a person on you. Of course, you got the occasional glances from other students in the cafeteria, but the gaze on your back was a near constant thing, and it made you uncomfortable. Was it Floyd and his twin again? No. Something was different about this person staring at you. Their magic seemed...playful in a way--kinda like a cat with a mouse, but you felt that that analogy was wrong. Maybe…‘a predator and their prey’ would be a general description of the magic you sensed?

“H-ahnm’n, ‘re yuh s’re yuh d-ohn wan’ suh-mu mah s’ndwih?” Grim asked through his mouthful, distracting you briefly from the gaze on your back. Turning your attention to the cat-monster, your lips twitched upwards when you listened to Queen Grimhilde make a noise of disgust at Grim’s actions.

“Lord Grim, I cannot understand you when your mouth is full.” You softly replied with amusement, picking up the napkin on the wooden table before using it to wipe the crumbs and smear of mayo around Grim’s maw. The feline, looking a bit annoyed, then quickly chewed and swallowed the bite of sandwich in his mouth before speaking again once you retracted the napkin from his face.

“Henchman, are you sure you don’t want some of my sandwich?” Grim asked with a furrow between his eyes, and your smile brightens a little and that warm feeling in your chest strengthens.

“I’m sure, Lord Grim.” You replied softly as you set the napkin back down onto the table.

“But you’re all skinny like a twig.” Grim muttered bluntly while taking another bite of his sandwich, squinting his eyes at you with suspicion.

You opened your mouth to say something in response, but the words died out immediately when you sensed a certain presence making their way towards Grim and your table. Once the person who had been watching Grim and you had finally come to a stop right behind you, they-- _he, apparently_ \--called out to you in a surprisingly soft tone, a slightly lazy lilt in his voice. Settling your nerves, you turned to face the stranger behind you.

It turned out that the person watching Grim and you had been a hyena-beastman. He had a head of scruffy, dirty-blonde hair, two large hyena ears sticking out from the slight mess of curly locks. The color of his hair made his sharp, silver-blue eyes stand out a bit more. And, compared to the usual students, his school uniform-- _well, mainly the suit jacket and white undershirt_ \--looked a little big on his lean form. The cuffs of his undershirt, unbuttoned suit jacket, and pants were rolled up, and his striped tie was loosened around his neck. On his bicep was a yellow and black armband, matching with the sunflower-yellow vest he was wearing underneath his unbuttoned suit jacket. There were also two wrapped, uneaten sandwiches in each of his hands. The hyena-beastman, apparently deciding to remain standing, continued to grin as he began a conversation with you.

To your utter confusion, the dirty-blonde began to address the fact that you weren’t currently eating anything. Why would he be... _concerned_ about you, a complete stranger, eating something? The hyena-beastman then held one of the sandwiches in his hands closer to you, a cheerful smile on his face, yet you couldn't help but be tense and nervous around the dirty-blonde teen. Was there something weird done with the sandwich and he wanted to mess with you? He does seem like the mischievous type. What was his goal with you?

{...Well, the cat wasn’t wrong when he said you’re as skinny as a twig.} Lord Hades said huffily.

You ended up reflexively telling a few lies about breakfast and lunch to the hyena-beastman, watching his reactions carefully. You saw his lax grin tighten a little at the edges, and frustration appeared in his eyes. You wonder if he knew you were lying--but then Grim suddenly decided to tell the truth for you, not understanding why you were fibbing.

You had sent Grim a warning look, but it went completely ignored as he busied himself with the rest of his sandwich. When you looked back over at the dirty-blonde, his silver-blue eyes were briefly focused on Grim before they went back to you, gaze assessing. Honestly, you want to leave the cafeteria at this point, escaping the eyes that have been on you for quite some time.

{...It’s unusual for hyenas to share their meals with anyone other than their packs.} Lord Scar muttered in your head as your gaze then avoided the dirty-blonde student’s eyes and the sandwich that was still being offered to you. What should you do--? He suddenly introduced himself, lax grin back in place, but his gaze was still sharp.

He called himself Ruggie Bucchi, a second-year in this school from the Savanaclaw dorm. You’re not sure why he suddenly introduced himself to you; perhaps the dirty-blonde thought you would relax around him more if you knew his name. It made you think about introducing yourself to him. But should you? Your gaze went back down to the wrapped sandwich, tensing when your stomach rolled for a moment.

Grim was right about you barely finishing the soup from last night. Mr. Jasur, Mr. Boone, and Mr. Mosstyn couldn’t stop hovering around you when you stopped eating after a few spoonfuls before you tried to continue. It was a struggle, but you managed to finish all of that delicious soup. And now...there was a whole sandwich being offered to you.

You look back up at Mr. Bucchi with unsure eyes, not bothering to mask your emotions since it seemed to be a moot thing at this point. Will Mr. Bucchi become angry with you if you don’t take the sandwich? His silver-blue eyes looked conflicted, and he was frowning slightly as he shifted his weight, continuing to wait for you to take the sandwich while seemingly lost in his own thoughts. The hyena-beastman seemed like he didn’t want to be here with you...yet he was standing here, eyebrows furrowed and eyes filled with...worry?

You’re probably overthinking things at this point, and you resist the urge to rub at your temples since Mr. Bucchi was still standing in front of yo--you flinched slightly when the hyena-beastman suddenly moved closer to you. Frost abruptly, discreetly, appeared at your right hand’s fingertips, prepared to launch a spell to defend yourself. But then you watched, mouth slightly agape when Mr. Bucchi abruptly placed the sandwich in his right hand down in front of you before quickly retreating. He laughed and said something about ‘No take-backsies’ while all you could do was stare with surprise.

“...Even if ya’ get nauseous, try to eat as much as possible, ‘kay?” Mr. Bucchi said with a lopsided grin before turning on his heel, leaving Grim, you, and one of his sandwiches behind. You continued to look over at the wrapped sandwich with stunned surprise.

“...Wh..at…?” You came to your senses a little when Mr. Bucchi was a few tables away from where you were. You pick up the sandwich and stand up from the table slightly, wincing when your knees hit the underside of the wooden surface in your slight haste. You nervously called out to the hyena-beastman, uncaring of the few students that glanced your way. “W-Wait a moment…! I really don’t need to eat--I-I mean, I really am full a-and...and--”

“Just eat the sandwich, stupid human. I can’t have a weakling as one of my henchmen.” Grim abruptly cut in, and you look over at the feline, startled. He was frowning at you, but the look was made less serious with the new mayo-mess around his mouth. You looked back over to Mr. Bucchi’s retreating back for a while more.

{...The sandwich is not poisoned or drugged, Diamond.} Lord Jafar then chose to speak up, and you look back down at the sandwich in your hand with pinched eyebrows.

Wary and calm. Those feelings were clashing together again. To be honest, you were much more used to dealing with cruelty than all of this…... _kindness_. Kindness was something you couldn’t really trust, yet not take for granted. You never know if you’re just being naïve or too paranoid. You frown slightly and glance back up at the cafeteria to see that Mr. Bucchi is already long gone, idly listening to the chatter of nearby students.

{Should I wake those two idiots up to gather information for ya’, Matchstick?} Lord Hades then asked mischievously, and you feel phantom, boney fingers rest on your shoulders, the weight comforting in a way.

‘ _No_. There’s no need to bother those two. In fact, all of them deserve to rest after the big fight against Chernabog.’ You reply internally about your friend-familiars while sighing out loud.

{ _Heeeey_ , I bet we can gather some pretty good blackmail. All you have to do is say the word.} Lord Hades nearly whined.

‘And the word right now is still ‘ _No_ ’, Lord Bonfire.’ You replied sternly, lips twitching with amusement when you heard his grumbling. ‘If I do need to gather information, then we can ask those two for help.’

{‘ ** _Ask_** ’? You’re too nice to those horned idiots.} Lord Hades groaned. {Just give ‘em a job and they should be expected to do it properly...}

You merely send amusement through the bond before you finally sit down with another heavy exhale falling from your lips. You set the sandwich down on the table before grabbing the napkin again to wipe Grim’s mouth when you noted that the new mess was still there. His small paws immediately push at your wrist with annoyance.

“H- _Hey_! I can do it myself, human!” Grim huffed as he quickly swiped the napkin away from your hand when you were halfway done with cleaning the mess. He huffed with embarrassment as he quickly wiped his maw with the napkin, and you merely smiled with mild fondness. The feline then set his napkin on the side, eyeing the wrapped sandwich on the table before looking back at you with his glowing, blue gaze. “Are ya’ gonna eat that?”

“Do you want to eat it?” You offered, nudging the sandwich towards him.

“It’s _your_ sandwich.” Grim scoffed as you looked at you with narrowed eyes while you blinked with mild surprise. “And I told you, human, that I can’t have a weak henchman. Eat more so you can become stronger.”

You blink your eyes once more rapidly, dumbly watching as he then moved the sandwich back over to you with his paw. You gaze down at the sandwich with slight apprehension; Lord Jafar had already helped you search for any poisons or drugs, but your stomach still felt like it was twisted into knots at the moment. You honestly hate this feeling, but you can’t exactly do anything about it right now. You reached out for the wrapped sandwich, holding back a grimace that wanted to form on your face. _Could_ you eat it? You didn’t want to end up carrying the sandwich around with you for the rest of the day if you couldn’t finish it…

“Well…” You trailed off, trying to think about how to solve this issue. You wouldn’t want to throw this sandwich away. It would be a waste! A thought then came to you when you glanced back up at Grim. “...How about we share it? I honestly don’t really eat much. If I have big servings of food, I might end up throwing it all up, and I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want to see that happen, right, Lord Grim?”

Grim’s face scrunched up for a moment in disgust, and then he inclined his head thoughtfully, looking at the sandwich next to your hand. His right ear twitched for a moment before he huffed, nodding his agreement with his chin slightly raised, acting as if this were a chore to him. Honestly, you bet Grim actually wanted to eat the sandwich himself with how he was eyeing it earlier.

“Alright. Let’s just do half each!” Grim said, and you can only smile in response as you start unwrapping the sandwich. You’re not sure if you can even finish half on your own, but you’ll certainly try your best.

~~

“Mx. Yuu~!” You heard a familiar voice call out to you.

It was currently after school, and Grim and you were waiting in the empty cafeteria to eventually meet up with Ace for the cleaning punishment of 100 windows. You turned your attention from Grim, who had been spinning a tale of kicking the asses of multiple high-class mages, and saw Headmaster Crowley walking towards the both of you. You turn slightly from where you were seated at the cafeteria table and nod your head slightly in greeting. Was the Headmaster just checking that Grim hadn’t run away from his punishment? Oh, but he called out to you for some reason…

“Good afternoon, Headmaster Crowley.” You greeted with a tentative smile.

“A lovely afternoon to you as well, Mx. Yuu~!” The masked man replied with a cheerful smile. You glanced behind Headmaster Crowley to see if Ace was there, but the ginger-haired freshman was nowhere to be seen.

“Um, Headmaster Cro--?” You tried to ask about the whereabouts of Ace.

“Mx. Yuu, I’d like for you to come with me to meet Mr. Sam!” Headmaster Crowley interrupted with a bright look on his face. “I received a response to my note recently, and he said he was free to give you an interview right now.”

“...Oh...r-right now…?” You echoed, feeling slightly nervous all of a sudden. You shift slightly and rub at your wrists anxiously-- _ah_ , that was a bad habit. You release your wrists and simply move one hand down to squeeze your right thigh.

“Yes! Right now, Mx. Yuu. He’s even closing up his shop a little early today.” Headmaster Crowley replied with a hum, his golden tipped fingers spreading and waving around in a flourish, seemingly attempting to make you feel amazed and energetic. He smiled, and you saw his glowing irises curve upwards. “He’s excited to meet you.”

“That’s...good.” You responded, words awkward and halting, not knowing how to feel at the moment. You then glanced over at Grim and then the entrance of the cafeteria, eyebrows furrowing together when you saw that Ace was still not here to begin the cleaning punishment with the cat-monster. “Erm, before that, Headmaster Crowley--”

“If you’re concerned about Mr. Grim, then you needn't worry! If he runs away from his punishment, then I’ll be informed immediately.” Headmaster Crowley said, but you were thinking more about Ace not arriving to help Grim. Would the ginger-haired teen ditch? Ace seemed like the type of person to do such things. The masked man continued to speak. “Let us go, Mx. Yuu. I’m sure Mr. Grim can wait for Mr. Trappola on his own.”

“Headmaster, I’m more worried abo--” You tried to explain your concerns once more, but you watched with exasperation as the masked man began to head out of the cafeteria, his suit coat swaying from where it was draped over his shoulders.

“Hurry now, Mx. Yuu! I shall lead the way.” Headmaster Crowley called back, and, since his back was turned to you, you pinched the bridge of your nose and muttered under your breath with exasperation. You sense Mistress Maleficent’s ire as well.

“...Despite what he’s done for Grim and me so far, his personality is still...difficult to deal with…”

{It’s bad manners to interrupt someone when they’re speaking.} Queen Grimhilde huffed her agreement.

{Can I claw out his tongue?} Lord Scar asked, and you imagine him sharpening his claws against a boulder, sensing his irritation.

{Remember, ‘unless we are threatened or harmed seriously, we mustn't attack the person who is antagonizing us’.} Mistress Ursula said with a fond, yet exasperated, sigh, referring to a conversation you had with the Seven years ago. Her voice then became a bit more aggravated. {You know, you are quite the hypocrite, guppy. If our names are dragged through the oil, you end up getting some form of revenge for us. But when it comes to you being insulted…}

You exhaled out loud when Mistress Ursula didn’t finish her sentence. You then looked over at Grim, who was eyeing you with mild curiosity, annoyance, and boredom. You then send a lopsided smile to the cat-monster as you got up from your seat.

“I don’t need you to watch me.” Grim grumbled as you shook your legs out a bit. You gazed at the cat-monster contemplatively for a moment responding.

“I know, Lord Grim. I’m just a bit of a worrywart. Also…” You fiddled with the cuff of your coat for a moment before continuing to speak. “...Even if Ace irritates you a lot, _try_ not to set him on fire.” You said, and you watch Grim bristle slightly while you remain calm. “Ace wants you to get a reaction out of you. Just think of his words as him trying to make himself look bigger than you, Lord Grim.” The feline perked up slightly at that, paying more attention to your words now. You paused for a moment, pondering, before saying your next few words carefully. “You are great and powerful...so you must also have amazing control.”

Grim’s face scrunched up slightly, at your warning to him to have restraint, but he looked contemplative at least. You weren’t sure if he would take your words to heart; you were pretty much a random person to him after all. Seeing that he was still frowning, you decided to brighten the mood a little.

“But, if Ace continues to be a pain, I’m sure it’ll be necessary to light his butt on fire to get him to stop his insults.” You said with a nonchalant shrug, and you watch a wide grin bloom on Grim’s face, the fire on his ears flickering brightly.

“Alright, henchman. If that stupid human Ace doesn’t stop insulting the Great Lord Grim, then I’ll just light his butt on fire!” Grim announced proudly as his tail swayed behind him. “I’ll make sure not to burn anything else since I have amazing control!”

Yikes. You feel like you’ve just given a child a dangerous weapon to play with. Smiling nervously, you don’t bother correcting Grim on his words. All you were really telling Grim was to defend himself if it turned out that Ace was an asshole. Well, if Grim was going to try and be on his best behavior, then you really had nothing else to caution him on.

“I’ll see you later, Lord Grim. Hopefully I’ll be able to come back in time to help you clean the windows with Ace.” You said with a small smile and a little wave, and Grim responded with a half-hearted swipe of his paw in the air as he then sprawled himself out on the surface of the cafeteria table below him.

“Yeah, yeah, henchman. Just hurry back.” Grim huffed, and you continued to smile as you made your way out of the cafeteria.

“Don’t drag your feet, Mx. Yuu! Mr. Sam is a very friendly person. I’m sure you’ll enjoy meeting him.” Headmaster Crowley said once you began following him down the hallways to wherever Mr. S’ Mystery Shop was.

{If he’s as annoying as you, I’m sure this meeting won’t go very well at all.} Lord Hades grumbled, words directed at Headmaster Crowley, and you smile outwardly and nod your head.

“I hope I can leave a good first impression.” You replied softly, suppressing your nerves for now.

You gripped the edges of your coat’s sleeves, glancing down at the stone floor for a moment. A thought came to you when you recognized the hallway where Grim had been chasing you last night. When you looked around, you noted how everything was unburnt and pristine.

“...Headmaster Crowley?” You called out tentatively, and you watched the masked man hum inquiringly as he glanced over his shoulder at you, his golden eyes bright. You continued to speak. “Who were the ones that cleaned up the...mess...yesterday?”

You trailed off a little, feeling a little guilty when you remembered the events of last night.

{You do realize that all of that nonsense was not your fault, Vessel.} Queen Grimhilde said sharply. {That ratty creature--} She was talking about Grim. {--was the one responsible for all of that destruction, and that buffoon for a Headmaster had dragged you into the chaos that was occurring.}

‘I feel like I could’ve helped with damage control.’ You replied with an internal sigh.

{You were in no condition for such things.} Lord Scar said tersely, leaving no more room for your argument.

“Well,” Headmaster Crowley said, and it drew your attention back to the world around you. You blinked and studied the Headmaster who was looking ahead once more, waving his gold-tipped fingers through the air. “While I did give Grim the punishment of tidying up the school in a few areas, this center of learning, of course, has people-- _or rather, beings_ \--that are responsible with cleanliness of this place.”

It was then that you heard the faintest... _giggle_ rush past your ear. Flinching, you turned your head in time to see something glowing fly past you. You inhaled sharply, eyes widening with surprise when you saw that the giggling light...was a **_fairy_**. The little being emitted a soft, orange light, their facial features framed by hair that looked like fire as their long gown swirled around them. You watched as the little fairy gazed back at you with their orange, crystal-like eyes, a bright smile on their face before they darted away.

You began to stretch your senses out a little, your magic brushing over things lightly. You were surprised to find multiple presences surrounding you; it felt like you were surrounded by little auras of nature. Multiple elements-- _fire, water, earth, etc_.-- brushed against your senses before you quickly pulled your magic close to yourself. You felt kind of stupid for not noticing the multiple presences of the elemental faes sooner around the school. You guess you were quite busy to really sense them all flitting about.

“--nes who assist in cleaning up the place are fairies.” You tuned back into what Headmaster Crowley was saying, snapping out of your slight daze as the masked man continued to speak. “We are not oppressing them in any way--if you are worried about that. There are mutual benefits contracted between the school and these fairies that are working here.”

...Something in your chest unwinds, and you relax a little at Headmaster Crowley’s last few words. You don’t really detect any lies within his voice, and those cheery giggles from that little fairy earlier seemed natural; it doesn’t look like the elemental faes were being forced into labor. When you turn to look at Headmaster Crowley’s back, you’re slightly startled to see that he was looking back at you, gauging your emotions and reactions with curious, golden eyes. He turned his gaze back to the front before you could grow too uncomfortable.

Ah, you feel a little shame. You assumed the worst of this man. Despite his...bad habits of speaking over people, Headmaster Crowley has been kind to you, and it doesn’t look like he’s the type to discriminate. He allows beastmen, fairy kind, and-- _just recently_ \--a monster into the school. It was wrong of you to think that Headmaster Crowley was enslaving the elemental fairies that you sensed flying around.

{...What would you have done if the elemental slaves were being oppressed, guppy? Hm~?} Mistress Ursula asked, but you sense that she already knows your answer.

{Oh, we would’ve definitely waged war on this school, Ms. Tentacles.} The Lord of the Underworld nearly purred, dark amusement in his voice.

{Not with the condition they are in.} Lord Scar said with a low rumble in his throat.

{Hey, kitty-cat! I know we can’t have Matchstick doing crazy things just yet.} Lord Hades whined. {Yeesh, I was trying to lighten up the mood a little.}

You smile a little at their bickering...but the expression falls away from your face when you recall why you were following the Headmaster in the first place. You were about to meet Mr. Sam. You look to the side to see the orange-gold light of the setting sun shining down on the courtyard you had been sweeping hours ago. You sighed under your breath, hoping that you wouldn’t have any problems with Mr. Sam in the near future. Would you really be able to get a job? You weren’t sure what would happen if you didn’t get a job. Would you be kicked ou--?

“...You will be fine, Mx. Yuu.” Headmaster Crowley suddenly said, and you blinked your eyes before looking at his back. You couldn’t quite see his expression, so all you could do was attempt to decipher his emotions through the tone of his voice. He sounded...honestly encouraging? You take in a deep breath...and exhale softly, posture straightening slightly as you looked ahead.

{Much better.} Queen Grimhilde then commented. {Have confidence in every step you take, Vessel. You are not alone.}

And that made you smile a little, sensing the warm emotions from the Seven flowing through your bonds with them. It was time to see how this interview will go.

~~

“You’re hired!” A cheery, dark-skinned man said to you after you merely introduced yourself with a slight bow. You could only stare at him with shock and confusion as his purple eyes-- _purple like the color of a blooming dahlia flower_ \--twinkled brightly as he smiled.

“U-Uhm... _excuse me_ , sir?” You uttered, unsure on how to feel and what to do.

Why were you suddenly hired after only introducing yourself to him? Well, there had been a long, awkward pause after entering the shop filled with hundreds of miscellaneous items. Headmaster Crowley stood beside you near the entrance of the shop, calling out to the man known as Mr. Sam, who wasn’t visible at the moment. A smooth voice called back that he would be in the front in just a few minutes, so you took the chance to observe the shop.

Your eyes first went to the large, green, basket-like chandelier near the center of the room, the light coming from it giving the shop a more mysterious feel to it, and it complimented the purple theme going on. You looked over at the items being displayed: a piano...a bowl of fruits...a voodoo mask...a treasure chest filled with gold coins and jewelry...a large crystal ball...a shelf full of books. The walls were also covered with multiple framed pictures...and there was a large horn of an unknown creature mounted onto the surface as well. Strange.

Just by glancing around the room, you could see that Headmaster Crowley wasn’t kidding about how the shop sells various things. But you couldn’t observe for much longer when you saw movement coming from a door that must lead to the back of the store. A lank, dark-skinned man made his way into the main area of the store, dusting his gloved hands together with a bright smile on his face as he greeted the Headmaster.

He was dressed in an unbuttoned maroon suit jacket and dress pants, the latter covered by a black apron that went from his waist to just above his ankles. Underneath the jacket was a bright, neon-purple vest with a ribs and spine pattern, and there was also, what seemed to be, a simple black t-shirt below it all. When you looked at the visible bit of skin between his elbow and wrist, and his collarbone and neck, you could see that the dark-skinned man had some sort of skeleton theme going on. The man had a head of black dreadlocks, a few of them dyed with the same purple as his eyes, which were accentuated with eyeshadow and white markings below. On his head was a tophat that was both maroon and black, decorated with stitches and a red ribbon with a tiny, cartoonish skull on it.

The man-- _Mr. Sam, you assumed_ \--continued to smile as he removed the tophat and set it down on the checkout counter, gloved hands also untying the waist-apron before putting it aside as well. Running a hand through his hair, Mr. Sam nodded a greeting to Headmaster Crowley.

“Good afternoon, Headmaster~!” Mr. Sam hummed, gloved hands now at his sides. “What can ol’ Sam do for ya’?”

“Hello, Mr. Sam. We have come for the job interview.” Headmaster Crowley said with an equally cheerful voice.

“And where might the li'l interviewee be?” Mr. Sam asked playfully, and you realized that you had subconsciously moved a bit more behind Headmaster Crowley, hiding most of yourself from view while observing the dark-skinned man. You flush for a brief moment at your actions, head ducking. How embarrassing. You don’t recall doing this sort of thing when around other adults who were far more threatening than these men currently with you. What was wrong with you?

{Oh, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about, dear hedgehog!} Queen Hearts cooed, and all you could do was clench and unclench your hands at your sides as you quickly tried to calm your nerves. You stand straight stiffly, yet keep your head lowered just a little. This was the usual position you took when meeting...adults; stand straight to show that you shall not bend, but keep your head a little lowered to not seem haughty and arrogant.

“G-Good afternoon, sir.” You greeted, cursing your stuttering as you tried to smile. “My name is Yuu.”

You then did a quick bow, since it would be polite to do so. Silence greeted you, and you grew just a bit more nervous as a slight tension began to fill the air. You should be... _safe_ here, right? Headmaster Crowley seemed like the kind of person who wouldn’t allow violence, even if he is seemingly ignorant of things not important to him. And so you lift your head to make eye-contact with Mr. Sam, and you find a complicated mix of an expression on his face.

He seemed to be studying you, the corners of his smile twitching downwards the longer he looked at you. Was there something on your face--? Well, you bet you look like crap. When you saw yourself in the mirror last night, you did look pretty bad. You do feel a lot better now though; you haven’t felt like this well in months. When you look into Mr. Sam’s dahlia-purple eyes, you thought you could decipher... _concern_ in his irises--

And that was when Mr. Sam’s smile returned to its earlier brightness, and he proclaimed that you were **_hired_**. What had been going through the man’s head while he was observing you? You blinked stupidly as you tried to gather your words, glancing over at Headmaster Crowley. The masked man was smiling as well, his golden irises bright and twinkling within the depths. Was this a prank?

“I don’t...understand…?” You continued to speak while Mr. Sam continued to smile cheerfully, moving about the store to check on a few things.

“Come now, little demon,” You barely held back a flinch while the dark-skinned man continued to speak. “If you are a person willing to help around this store, then I have no objections in taking you in as my assistant.”

You’re not sure on how to feel about being called ‘little demon’, but there was no-- ~~ _spitting, rocks being thrown, curses, kicks, fists_~~ \--hatred in this man’s words or gaze; he was smiling, and his gaze was bright. Perhaps it was...a nickname of sorts? Does he possibly call everyone younger than him ‘little demon’? Still, you continued to look at Mr. Sam with confusion and wariness as the man stopped before a vase of flowers, adjusting the arrangement a little so its colors stood out against each other more.

“B-But...you haven’t--?”

“‘I haven’t interviewed you’? Well...don’t think of this as arrogance, but I feel that I’m a pretty good judge of character.” Mr. Sam replied with a smile, dahlia-purple gaze studying your face once more for a brief moment. A look of realization then appeared on his face and he moved his hands from the vase of flowers before making his way towards you. “Ah! Where are my manners?” He extended a hand out to you, and the movement was slow and deliberate enough for you not to flinch. You watched a smile spread on his lips as he wiggled his fingers playfully. “You can just call me Sam, li’l shadow.”

Oh, the nickname changed. You liked this one better though. With a brief split second of hesitation, you reach out and take his gloved hand. Mr. Sam’s grip is firm, yet gentle, and the two of you share one hand shake before you both release each other.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Sam.” You said softly, awkwardly ignoring his request to simply be called ‘Sam’. When Mr. Sam heard how you addressed him, he pouted for a second before sighing.

“Ah, well I suppose that’s better than nothing.” Mr. Sam huffed as he then backed up a little, placing a gloved hand under his chin thoughtfully as he looked at you. “...Tell me, li’l shadow, are you in need of...ingredients for cuisines?”

“Huh?” You responded confusedly.

“Our dear Headmaster told me about your dreadful situation, li’l shadow.” Mr. Sam continued, and he seemed amused by your confusion. His smile brightened a little. “Since you are to be one of my first employees, I wish to give you a splendid offer! For this week and the next, everyday, you will be allowed to choose three objects at most and have them for free. Once the two week period is over, everything you buy from here will be at half price.”

You...you can’t help but stand there and gape at Mr. Sam. Your gaze went over to Headmaster Crowley, and he was still smiling. This...th-this is…!

“Th-That’s too generous, Mr. Sam…!” You protested, overwhelmed by this entire situation in general. First you get the job, and now he is saying that you’ll be allowed free things for two weeks?

{Hey, it’s free stuff, Matchstick! You’re gonna turn this down?} Lord Hades complained, and you have the rare urge to whack his shoulder.

{Of course you would say that.} Lord Jafar hissed with annoyance at the Lord of the Underworld. {Have you forgotten that we are trying to avoid situations where we must pay a person back? This may be a ploy to tie our Diamond down.}

“Mr. Sam is a very honest person.” You suddenly heard Headmaster Crowley speak, and you turned to look at him with your still wide eyes. The masked man’s smile has faded a little, but his gaze was bright and serious. You flinched when one of his gloved hands touched your shoulder, squeezing gently. The Headmaster paused for a bit, studying your expression for a split second before retracting his hand from your shoulder, smiling gently at you. “He won’t lie to you, and he always has the best interests in mind for people in his care.”

Was...Headmaster Crowley trying to... _assure_ you? You clench and unclench your hands into fists. You nervously look over the masked man’s shoulder to study Mr. Sam again, and he smiled brightly at you. Mr. Sam does seem to be the sly type, but he doesn’t feel like an actual threat to you…..unless he becomes one. Well, if worst comes to worst, then you’ll be prepared to deal with it. You need to gain money somehow to repay all of the kindness given to you. Working with Mr. Sam might not be bad.

“Thank you, Mr. Sam.” You finally say, voice quiet but filled with gratitude.

“Anything for my new employee!” Mr. Sam said cheerfully--and he was being way too generous to you. You’re feeling a bit exhausted with this mere meeting with him. Oh, but now that you think about his offer...  
  
“...Mr. Sam?” You called out tentatively as Headmaster Crowley moved to stand at your side for now.

“Yes, li’l shadow~?” He responded brightly as he rocked back on his heels, gloved hands on his hips.

“Is...it alright if I could get something from you today?” Your stomach twisted into nervous knots. Would he get mad at you for asking for things too soon? “I-I’ll work extra hours for it if you don’t thi--”

“Of course, li’l shadow!” Mr. Sam interrupted you as he briskly walked over to the checkout counter. He beamed at you as he spread his arms out a little. “Let me know which three items you need. I’ll get them for you!”

You list out the three things you wished to get, watching as Mr. Sam merely nodded at each item that was mentioned. Huh, so he really does have a lot of various things in this store. You idly wonder what the limit was for what he could offer to a customer. Mr. Sam hummed as he then began to move to the back part of the store...before pausing. The man glanced over his shoulder, and you froze for a moment under his bright, dahlia-purple gaze--but then you realized that he was looking at Headmaster Crowley.

“ _Hey_ , dear Headmaster,” Mr. Sam then called out. You weren’t certain, but Mr. Sam’s voice seemed to sound lower, almost husky, as his irises glowed a little. You also thought the dark-skinned man’s shadow shifted unnaturally for a moment. “...Why don’t you follow me to the back? I want to discuss something with you for a bit.”

“Of course.” Headmaster Crowley replied, his benign smile still present. He then turned to look at you, golden eyes bright. “The both of us won’t be long, Mx. Yuu. So why don’t you take a look around the front of the store for now, hm?”

You felt a little unsure for a moment, gaze flickering to Mr. Sam and then back to Headmaster Crowley. Mr. Sam seemed... _upset_ about something, but you weren’t sure what. It was strange; the dark-skinned man had been so cheerful with you a few mere seconds ago before calling out to the Headmaster. And so you merely nodded in the direction of the Headmaster, watching him pass Mr. Sam to go into the room in the back. Mr. Sam sent you a friendly wave, which you returned hesitantly, before the dahlia-purple-eyed man followed Headmaster Crowley.

You, now alone in the front, stood there for a moment, unsure about what to do next. You were told to explore the area you were in, but you don’t want to do anything wrong that could incite Mr. Sam’s ire; you stiffly stay in place while looking over at the shut door to the back.

{Shall we wake one of our familiars to spy on them?} Mistress Maleficent’s smooth voice then inquired.

‘...Let’s not.’ You reply internally. ‘Everyone deserves to rest, and it’s not right of me to snoop on the people providing for me.’

{What if they’re talking about you?} Lord Scar rumbled, and you paused for a moment, nervously rubbing at your wrists and playing with the bandages wrapped around your right palm.

‘...I...want to trust them…...just a little.’ You quietly responded, feeling a lot more tired all of a sudden. ‘If things turn out badly, I’ll take full responsibility.’

The Seven went quiet at that...before there was a collective sigh shared between them.

{Alright. As long as you’re okay with it, kid.} Lord Hades said with a slight grumble. {If it turns out that they’re a bunch of σκατα-heads (shit-heads), then we’ll get our revenge.}

{Watch your tongue!} Queen Grimhilde scolded. {It’s your fault that our Vessel is knowledgeable of such vulgar language.}

{Hey, how is it my fault when--?}

{Please cease your bickering, you two.} Mistress Maleficent sighed, and you smiled a little with fondness, listening to the Seven converse with each other while you glanced around the front of the store once more. You really hope that you can trust Mr. Sam and Headmaster Crowley.

Well, at least you’ve become a little numb to the feeling of betrayal, so you shouldn’t be affected if you end up getting stabbed in the back figuratively...or literally.

~~

... _Frick_. What you got from Mr. Sam will never be enough to apologize for the new mess that has been made. After managing to persuade Headmaster Crowley to not instantly expel the two students and the soon-to-be freshman cat-monster from school, you stayed silent and stared at the destroyed chandelier on the cafeteria ground. You should’ve stayed with Grim.

As you stood there, thinking, you distantly listened to Headmaster Crowley explain what the trio had to do to avoid expulsion. Could you fix it with your magic right now? No. Magic crystals are tricky things to deal with, and you currently in no condition to do something advanced. The only solution for now is to find a crystal that is somewhat similar to the one that had been destroyed.

Headmaster Crowley was now finishing up his explanation, and he tried to persuade you to rest at your dorm, but you refused; you needed to keep an eye on Ace, Grim, and...this new student. The new face-- _a navy-haired, peacock-green-eyed teen_ \--was wearing a uniform that had the same colors that Ace had, and so you assumed that they must be in the same dorm.

The student’s navy hair was styled neatly, bangs swept to the side of his face, and a spade symbol was inked around his right eye. Two black gloves covered his hands, and his tie was properly adjusted into place. His suit jacket only had the first button done, but he looked much more presentable than Ace at the moment. All in all, he didn’t seem to be the type to willingly be dragged into messes. Poor guy. You assume that he’s a victim in this incident.

{I cannot _believe_ these three buffoons…!} Queen Grimhilde seethed as Headmaster Crowley left and you slowly approached the trio before you. You would have to watch them closely from now on. {Why should we involve ourselves anymore with them? They are **_not_** your responsibility, Vessel!}

{Yeah!} Lord Hades agreed with a groan. {Why don’t we just call it a day and leave?}

{The final decision is left to the Dragon-Child.} Mistress Maleficent replied calmly. {If they truly wish to do this, then we shouldn’t act as obstacles.}

{But isn’t it our job to prevent Matchstick from getting caught up in messes as much as possible?} The Lord of the Underworld argued with the draconic fae in your mind, while you were learning the name of the navy-haired teen that got dragged into the Chandelier Incident. You learn that his name is Deuce Spade, and he was a first-year like Ace.

‘If I don’t go with them, I’ll feel bad if they come back injured.’ You said internally before Mistress Maleficent could say anything. ‘I know it’s selfish of me, but...please.’

{Ugh! They’re using the p-word…!} Lord Hades whined dramatically, and stopped yourself from smiling amusedly in front of Ace, Deuce, and Grim for no apparent reason. {Fine, _fine_ , **_fine_**! If you end up getting boo-boos and ouchies after this, don’t say I didn’t warn ya’!}

‘Thank you, Lord Hades, everyone.’ You replied gratefully, and you felt warm emotions from them through the bonds.

Before, Deuce, Ace, Grim, and you left for the Dwarf Mines, you set down what you got from Mr. Sam onto one of the nearby cafeteria tables before bowing at the waist towards the room in general. You bit your lower lip a little as you sensed the elemental fairies darting around the area; the tiny beings weren’t too visible unless you actually looked for them intently. You could sense some mild annoyance, curiosity, and amusement filling the air.

“I’m sorry for the mess.” You said to them, fiddling with the cuffs of your coat. “Thank you for taking care of everything here.” You then gestured to the plastic bag on the table next to you, gaze lowered a little. “Here’s some honey, milk, and sugar cookies for your troubles. It’s not much, but I hope you enjoy it. I’ll come back with more of it if you all think it’s not enough.” You then do another quick bow, feeling the eyes of Deuce and Grim on you; you had to go now. “Once again, I’m sorry this happened. And, um...g-goodbye for now.”

Argh, you’re so **_awkward_**. You then quickly make your way out of the cafeteria, and out of the corner of your eye, you see a few fairies starting to approach the plastic bag you brought from Mr. Sam. As you follow Deuce and Grim--Ace was far ahead of you three--you couldn’t help but start to worry about the future events that were about to occur. You’re not sure why, but you have a bad feeling prickling at the back of your head, and this sense of foreboding has always helped you to survive up to this point.

{Something shitty’s gonna happen.} Lord Hades grumbled, and you couldn’t help but silently agree. Your stomach was twisting into small knots, but you continued to follow Ace, Deuce, and Grim to the Chamber of Mirrors.

~~

If Life and Karma were people, you would like to smack them a little for what was happening right now.

You had never expected to come across a blot-monster, since there had been so many good things in this alternate reality--but you should’ve known better, should’ve expected the worse around every corner just in case. It has only been a few weeks in your world since you ran into a blot-monster, and, fortunately, this one has no...Host to leech off from. If this blot-phantom still had a Host, its magic, strength, and speed would have certainly been much more formidable to deal with.

But the Host was gone, and all that was left now was a ghost of someone’s negative emotions and fading, corrupted magic. A blot-monster’s existence only lasts as long as the strength of the Host’s emotions if it no longer had magic to feed on; like a normal ghost, the phantom can either cling to the world of the living or move on and vanish. This blot-monster before you is definitely old, and its Host’s emotions don't seem to be very strong. It could be defeated, but you would still have to remain cautious.

After all, this world was different from your own. The blot-monsters here could be stronger, weaker, smarter, dumber, more dangerous, or non-hostile. However, at this point, it was obvious that this blot-monster was one of the violent types. You should get everyone out of here. Enclosed spaces were...a bit of a-- ~~ _it’s cold, dark, and you can’t breathe_~~ \--hindrance to you when you fight.

But you hadn’t expected Deuce to run towards the tunnel with the magic crystal despite your warnings. He was brave, certainly, but very, _very_ , **_very_ _reckless_**. He must really want to stay at Night Raven College, huh? You’re not sure if you want to admire his stubbornness or want to grab him and shake him around by the shoulders. As you get up onto your feet and move out of your hiding spot, you idly wonder what was fueling Deuce’s desperation.

{WHAT IS THAT FOOLISH BOY **_DOING_**!?} Queen Grimhilde screeched as you watched Deuce run across the open area. You grit your teeth as you start to move.

{Hey, hey, hey! If that kid wants to die, then don’t do anything, Matchstick!} Lord Hades shouts; you imagine his flaming hair edging towards magenta with how agitated he sounds. {He made his choice!}

‘You know that I cannot do that.’ You reply sharply as you quickly follow after Deuce, grimacing when you see the blot-monster whip its head around to look at the navy-haired teen who was only halfway across the open area. “ ** _DEUCE_**!”

Since you are not at your best, you hadn’t been fast enough to push Deuce out of the way while also dodging the blot-phantom’s attack. Fortunately, you quickly formed a thick layer of ice to lessen the blow of the pickaxe; the resounding ‘ ** _CRUNCH_** ’ in the air as pickaxe met ice made you wince a little. You imagine that your spine would have made that noise if you hadn’t defended yourself in time. Your back kinda stings though...but at least your spine isn’t shattered. It doesn’t feel like anything is bleeding. There will probably be a big, purple, ugly bruise left behind going across your back diagonally--but you’ll take care of that later. 

Gritting your teeth, you push yourself up with a grunt, and your gaze briefly catches the shocked, peacock-green gaze of Deuce, who’s eyes were shining, as if he was about to cry. Why did he look like he was about to cry? Perhaps it was because he had been so close to death? Was there dust in his eyes? Ah, you couldn’t think about that right now. You had to get Ace, Deuce and Grim out of this situation first.

“Y- _Yuu_ …?” Deuce says shakily with disbelief as you get to your feet first. “A..Are you a-alrig--?”

“Deuce.” You cut him off as you gaze down at him, grimacing when your back throbs harshly. You extend your left hand out for him to take, your next few words unfortunately clipped and sharp as you breathed through the flash of pain you felt. “ _Get up_.”

You hear a roar behind you--and oh, you almost forgot about the blot-monster. And so, instead of waiting on Deuce, you bend down a little to grab the front of the navy-haired teen’s uniform and roughly yank him onto his feet before shoving him in the direction of where you had all come from to enter this open part of the mine. Fortunately, Deuce seems to regain his senses to start running out of the mine; you quickly follow.

“Keep going, Deuce!” You practically order before looking over to where the other two students were currently hiding. “Ace, Grim! Get moving as well! We need to get out of here!”

You turn your attention back to Deuce’s running form, but out of the corner of your eye, you watch Ace and Grim scramble over to join the navy-haired teen and you. You slow down a little to allow all three students to dash ahead of you before you run after them, protecting their backs. Something whistles through the air and you duck slightly to avoid the swing of a pickaxe. After you dodge, there was apparently too much momentum in the swing, and the metal part of the pickaxe ends up piercing the walls of the mine.

You hear the blot-monster grunt behind you, trying to dislodge its pickaxe from the mine’s walls. This was a good chance to leave the corrupted phantom behind, and so you continue to run out of the mines, ignoring the snarls and groans behind you.

After a few twists and turns, cool, fresh air greets your face the moment you move out of the mine, and you feel yourself relax a little from just being out of the cramped place. As you take in deep breaths of the cold, night air, you quickly scan the trio collapsed on the ground. Were they hurt?

{‘Were **_they_** hurt’? Are you _kidding_ me right now?} You hear Lord Hades snarls, sensing what you were thinking. You imagine his eyes turning crimson while smoke curls around him like a cloak.

‘Everyone, I’m alright.’ You grimace when you sense anger burning through the bonds. You move one hand to rub your back, dispelling the ice that was still there. When the ice completely turns into vapor, you feel relieved when it didn’t feel like there was anything broken or bleeding. ‘I think it’s just a bruise. Please calm down.’

{Calm down…? Calm _down_!? **_CALM DOWN_**!?} Queen Grimhilde’s voice was shrill, and you could feel her rage through the bond. {These incompetent fools are the ones that led you to be injured! And don’t just call it a mere bruise--!}

{OFF WITH ALL OF THEIR HEADS!} The Queen of Hearts screams before her voice softens a little, and you sense a gentle, phantom touch hover over your own hand and back. {H-How _dare_ they…! Oh, my dear, dear hedgehog...}

Lord Jafar, Mistress Ursula, and Lord Scar were ominously silent, but you feel their frigid emotions through the bond. As for Mistress Maleficent--

{ ** _S i l e n c e_** . . . a l l o f y o u .} The draconic fae snarls, and you bet her eyes would have glowed brightly in a dark room, a green fire prepared to spread and destroy the land. The voices in your head grow silent, but you sense that they’re still seething. You feel a little relieved for the silence though; most of the Seven were about to overwhelm you. Mistress Maleficent’s voice softens. {...Dragon-Child...please be honest about your wounds.}

‘It only hurts a little.’ You report back without hesitation, continuing to scan Ace, Deuce, and Grim for injuries while idly poking at your back again thoughtfully. You felt exasperated, yet strangely calm, about this situation. ‘Nothing is broken or bleeding--and **_no_** , I am not downplaying anything.’ You say swiftly before any of the Seven could reply. You relax a little with relief when you see that Ace, Deuce, and Grim were injury-free. ‘Please...be _calm_. We have received worser wounds than this, and we have been in situations far more chaotic. What’s happening right now isn’t something that we can’t handle.’

{But it’s because of these three little κώλος (assholes) that you--!} Lord Hades growls, but your internal conversation with him, and the rest of the Seven, is interrupted when someone abruptly grabs your wrist.

You jerk backwards with surprise, yanking your hand from the grip around your wrist. Your wide eyes land on Deuce, who was now standing and looking at you with worry and mild shock. You felt a little guilty at your reaction, and you were about to apologize, but the navy-haired teen didn’t seem to be angry about it at all. In fact, his attention seems to be on other things at the moment as he then drops his hands to his sides..

“Y..Y- ** _Yuu_** …!” Deuce says, voice hoarse with emotion as his slightly glossy, peacock-green eyes look you over. “I...y-your _back_...are you…?”

His words were all over the place, and his gloved hands were clenching and unclenching, his shoulders lifted with tension. The navy-haired teen raised his hands again, looking like he wanted to turn you around, but he hesitated, as if he was about to deal with something extremely fragile. Of course you were not going to show your back to him, but you didn’t look that bad, did you? Deuce opened his mouth, about to say something, but then a different teen entered the conversation.

“How the **_hell_** are you still walking!?” Ace exclaims as he stands next to Deuce, looking at you with dumbfounded eyes, mouth slightly agape. “Are you an actual zombie, Yuu!?”

‘ _Zombie_ ’? You look at Ace with confusion--but then you abruptly lean back a little when a gray furball appears in front of you. Grim’s eyes looked a little watery, but he was frowning a little, tail lashing around agitatedly.

“Henchman, you can’t die!” Grim practically orders you, and you can only blink while being pinned down by three pairs of eyes ranging from confusion, shock, and panic. However, there was one emotion that seemed to be shared with all of them.

It was worry.

They were... _worried_...about you?

“I’m fine.” You say, feeling a little lost. “...The pickaxe didn’t hit me directly, so I--”

“I’m sorry!” Deuce then blurts, and you turn your attention to him. He can only make eye-contact with you for a handful of seconds, and you see a great amount of self-loathing in there. And then he ducks his head and bows at the waist, teeth gritted with frustration. You glance down briefly to his shaking fists, listening to the material of his black gloves squeak. “I-If I hadn’t rushed in…! If I had just--!”

“You _really_ want to stay in this school, huh, Deuce?” You ask calmly, and you watch him pause before he lifts his head to look at you with mild confusion. You smile wearily at him. Ah, despite the headache these three are giving you, you want to help them still. The Seven would say that it’s because you were too kindhearted. “...I don’t need to hear your reason, but I’m willing to help you get that magic crystal.”

This blot-monster wasn’t that strong, in your opinion, but it will be tricky to deal with since you were not at your best. You watch as Deuce opens and closes his mouth for a long moment, unable to find the words to respond. His peacock-green eyes shine with emotion while Ace and Grim react loudly.

“ ** _Hah_**!? You’re gonna go back in there for the stupid crystal!?” Ace yells while nervously glancing over at the mine entrance. “Are you frickin’ _insane_!?”

“You’re crazy, henchman!” Grim shouts while looking at you with wide eyes, tail puffing up slightly. “You must’ve hit your head when that ugly j-jar-head smacked you in the back!”

“I was caught off guard a bit, but I think I’ll be better prepared this time.” You merely smile in the gingerhead and cat-monster’s direction, and they stare back at you with disbelief. “You guys can--”

“I cannot allow you to do this, Yuu!”

You blink in idle surprise before noting that it was Deuce who had shouted this time. You look at the navy-haired teen, watching the devastation, determination, and frustration mix in his face.

“I...i-it’s because of my _selfishness_ that you almost got grievously injured.” Deuce said as he looked at you with guilt in his eyes. “There's no need for us to go and get a crysta--!”

“I never really intended to run away completely since you guys need this crystal. If you don’t get one, you’ll all be expelled.” You cut in calmly. You hear a roar from the mines and frown a little, glancing at the dark entrance. It sounds like the blot-monster went back into the mines since it sounded much further away than expected. Plans were quickly forming within your head. If these three don’t wish to fight the blot-monster, then you’ll have to prepare to go back inside the mines and keep that ink-abomination there. Should you cast a shielding spell around these three in case the blot-monster gets past you? So many decisions and so little time; it will be the dawn of the next day soon you think. “Deuce, Ace, Lord Grim...you three can stay out here while I--”

“Like hell.” And it was surprisingly Deuce who hissed those words. You look at him with wide eyes and he looks at you as if he wanted to punch something. He’s not going to punch you, right? “I won’t allow you to do this alone, and--!” He cuts himself off for a moment, biting his lower lip. He stares at you for a while, gathering his words together before speaking once more. “...Why? Why would you…...it shouldn’t matter to you if we get the crystal or not. You’re not a student who’s getting expelled...”

“I’m just doing this because I **_want_** to.” You reply simply, and you watch as Deuce looks at you with widening eyes. 

{Oh, _guppy_ , you’re too good for them.} Mistress Ursula sighs, and you squirm internally with embarrassment.

“Now, it should only take a few minutes.” You say as you smile a little before turning towards the entrance. “I’ll be back--”

“Hey, didn't you hear what the dumbass Juice said?” You hear Ace say. You arch an eyebrow at what the hell ‘Juice’ was until you hear Deuce grumbling that that was not his name. Your gaze is focused a bit more on Ace as the gingerhead continues to speak, his amber gaze slightly narrowed and focused. “As much I don’t want to go back in there and face that nightmare-fuel eldritch monster, I have enough conscience to not just hightail it out of here while leaving you behind.”

“A-And you’re my henchman!” Grim then adds, flying over to float in front of you. You surprise yourself when you don't flinch at the soft paw that pokes your right cheek. The feline’s blue eyes glow brightly as he stares back at you. “I wouldn’t be an amazing, strong mage if I couldn’t protect my weak henchman from doing stupid things alone.”

Despite Ace acting like this was one big chore, and Grim’s confident words, you saw how the gingerhead’s hands were shaking, and how Grim still looked slightly puffed up with fear. Taking a glance at Deuce, his hands were shaking a little as well. However...all three seemed determined now to go and get the magic crystal.

“...So...you all want to get the crystal?” You ask carefully. You feel your magic stir within you as you study them with furrowed eyebrows. “You don’t have to go in there. Plus, I plan to take down that monster before it can roam free and hurt someone else.”

“Y-You’re _really_ planning on taking that thing down?” Ace asks, his nervous smile crooked with bafflement. He then frowns with mild confusion. “Do you...know what that thing is?”

“All I can tell you for now is that its head is its weakness, and there’s luckily only one of them around here.” You reply, gaze focused as you roll up the cuffs of your coat a bit to allow better movement of your hands. You really wish you had some potions; it would’ve boosted your energy just a little. You look each of them in the eye slowly to make sure they were paying attention. “...If you really plan to help with getting the crystal, then we need to take down the monster first.”

“Do you have a plan?” Deuce asks tentatively, but his eyes are bright and his hands are shaking less now. Grim swallows audibly as he floats beside Ace and Deuce, the feline’s lit ears flicking nervously from time to time as he looks at you.

“This plan was made in a bit of a rush, but it should work.” You reply, and you smile reassuringly at Deuce. The four of you should be more than enough to take the blot-monster down. While Ace, Deuce, and Grim’s magic weren’t overwhelmingly powerful, the blot-monster lurking in the mines were weaker than the ones you were used to facing. It should turn out fine as long as you all watch each other's backs. Ace, Deuce, and Grim move a little closer to you in a huddle when you motion them over, and you smile awkwardly at them. “...Okay, so here’s how it’s gonna work…” 

~~

“H-Hey, you _stuuuuupid_ , **_fat_** jar-head!” Grim shouts as he floats within the open area of the mines. Summoned spheres of blue fire crackle beside his head to make himself more noticeable, and he grins nervously down at the abomination growling and groaning back up at him. “Come and get me if you can-- ** _aaAAAAH_**!”

Grim puffs up with panic when the abomination unexpectedly lunges upwards into the air, pickaxe swinging wildly. The cat-monster quickly flies up just a little higher, completely out of reach, and the blot-monster snarls when all it did was strike air--the abomination stumbles abruptly when a different ball of flames strikes his side. Rumbling lowly, the ink-monster swerves its jar head to look at where you were standing next to the tunnel leading out of the mines.

Grim quickly flies down to join you, his wide blue eyes going to your glowing hands for a moment with interest before he glares nervously at the ink-monster stumbling around. More fire dances at your fingertips as you gaze steadily at the blot-monster that now started to charge towards you. _Good_. It took the bait. You then wave Grim to go first before the both of you start running back out of the mines, occasionally sending fire back at the abomination to keep enraging it to follow the both of you.

“ **W-W ~~o~~ OÖõn’T Le ~~E~~ Ët y-you tÄ ~~K~~ E I ~~I~~ ĪIÏI ~~I~~ T!**” The blot-monster bellows as it stomps after the both of you.

“It’s faster than it looks!” Grim squeaks when he chances a glance over his shoulder.

“Just keep going, Lord Grim! You’re doing fine!” You tell him as you both take a sharp turn around a corner. When he looks back at you this time, you smile encouraging, and he sends a wobbly grin back.

{This is frickin’ crazy. Why couldn’t you send someone else to be the bait with the damn cat?} Lord Hades grumbles, but it sounds as if he were watching an exciting action film, sitting on the edge of his seat. {Hey, remember to turn left up ahead, Matchstick!}

You smile a little. You remember the path out of the mines, but Lord Hades couldn’t help but direct you still. It’s not long before Grim, you, and the blot-monster are out of the mines, and you see Ace and Deuce waiting, large, heavy cauldrons surrounded by violently swirling wind at the ready. You flick your hand behind you, ice abruptly forming around the blot-monster’s legs.

“ _Fire_!” You then shout towards the two as you and Grim quickly dart to the side. The ink-monster roars as it tries to free itself from the ice around its feet.

“You better aim properly.” Deuce huffs to Ace as he focuses on making the three cauldrons he summoned as heavy and strong as possible.

“Just shut up and watch me.” Ace says back with a smirk as he waves his glowing pen through the air, listening to the wind whisper around him with excitement. With a sharp movement of the hand holding his pen, Ace abruptly sent the heavy cauldrons flying forward like a cannon.

The ink-monster screeches loudly before it’s struck in the face, the sound of glass shattering quickly reaching everyone’s ears while a cloud of dust puffs up, obscuring the abomination from sight. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Ace and Deuce perk up with accomplishment, but your gaze narrows slightly. It was too soon to celebrate. You could sense that it was still there.

“Fire again-- _quickly_!” You shout towards Deuce and Ace. The two teens look at you with surprise and confusion before quickly summoning another cauldron and gust of wind hastily.

A pickaxe swung through the cloud of dust, and the ink-monster was revealed, its glass head extremely damaged and leaking, but it was still there. The abomination, ignoring Grim and you for now, gurgles as it took a lumbering step towards Ace and Deuce, who were still gathering their magic together. From where you were standing next to Grim by the mine entrance, you quickly go down to one knee and slap your left hand down onto the ground, and the rocky area around the abomination abruptly turns into sand. With a cutoff roar, it drops into the sand pit you created.

{ _Diamond_.} Lord Jafar calls out sternly, and you’re about to ask what was wrong when your vision suddenly darkens around the edges a little and you grow a bit dizzy. {You’re using too many spells.}

Was this really your limit already? However, you were happy that you stopped the ink-monster from reaching Ace and Deuce before they could cast their combined spell. Deuce had summoned one larger and heavier cauldron this time, and Ace drew in the wind, letting it swirl around as violently as possible. The blot-monster was about to climb out of the sand pit, but it looks like the two teens were ready, and you merely sent Ace and Deuce a nod.

The large cauldron shot through the air as a black blur despite its weight and size, and it struck the ink-monster directly in the face, and you watch it’s jar-like head snap back violently, glass shards scattering everywhere. The abomination staggers for a moment...before it flops forward like a puppet with its strings cut. A dark smoke starts to surround the blot-monster, and then its body slowly starts to disappear with a passing breeze, leaving behind a large pickaxe. The only thing you could hear was panting from the entire group as you all stare at the spot where the blot-monster used to be.

“Did...did we win?” Ace was the first to mumble, a smile starting to pull the edges of his lips upwards a bit. Ace looks over at Deuce who was starting to grin with victory as well. “Holy crap, we really got it…!”

While you were glad the blot-monster was defeated as well, you couldn’t help but feel a lingering sadness as you eye the pickaxe on the ground that was not made of sand. You get to your feet, staggering for a moment when you feel your legs trembl--

“ _Woah_ , hey!” You are startled to feel hands grip you by the shoulders to keep you from falling, and you tense a little before lifting your gaze. Peacock-green eyes look back at you with concern. “...You look exhausted, Yuu. And your back...”

{And it’s no thanks to you three.} Queen Grimhilde sniffs with contempt while you wave a hand through the air with a weary smile.

“I told you guys earlier--I'm fine, so you don't need to look at my back. Just let me catch my breath a little. I’ll be fine in a moment.” You reply with a huff...before awkwardly following Deuce when he leads you over to a boulder next to the mine’s entrance. “U-Um, Deuce…?”

“Stay here for now.” Deuce replies sternly as he gently pushes down on your shoulders, and you end up bending your knees until you find yourself sitting on the ground. You blink with bafflement as you stare up at the navy-haired teen, who then helps you lean back a little against the boulder behind you. Didn’t you all need to go and get the crystal?

“But what about the--?”

“We can handle something like that since we know where it is, and there’s no creepy monster left to deal with.” Ace cuts in, shrugging nonchalantly before looking down at you with a grin. “The raccoon, Deucey, and I’ll come back soon with the magic crystal, so sit tight, Yuu.”

“Yeah, henchman! We’ll go get it and come back--or I’ll get it first since these guys might be too scared of the dark.” Grim grins toothily while Ace and Deuce sent narrowed glares at the cat-monster, but the three didn’t break out into a full blown fight. Instead of anger in either of their gazes, there just seemed to be some sort of mild exasperation, yet respect, forming there. You were worried that they would act like oil and water around each other for a long time, but this friendly atmosphere that formed was a development you welcomed with open arms.

“ _Pfft_ \--hahaha…!” You let out a raspy laugh, and you ignore the inquisitive gazes on you; the Seven grow completely silent in your head. You idly wipe at the sweat forming at your temple while smiling up at them with amusement. “...It seems the three of you have gotten closer to each other now.”

“ _Hah_!? Who’d be friends with _these_ two idiots!?” Ace immediately snaps back while physically stepping away from Deuce and Grim as if he was about to catch their cooties.

“Y-Yuu, you’ve got it all wrong!” Deuce stutters while he looks at you with mild embarrassment, furrowed eyebrows, and wide eyes.

“We’re _not_ friends! They’re my new **_henchmen_**!” Grim denies you words, ignoring the glares from Ace and Deuce. But you just laugh again, smiling at the three before you.

_You feel warm._

~~

A few minutes have passed after Ace, Deuce, and Grim went into the mines for the magic crystal, and you were outside watching the bright moon shining down on you, stars dotting the area. It was...calm. Crickets chirp, owls hoot, and you could hear the little creek splashing in the distance. You shut your eyes for a moment, taking it all in…

…

...And then you open your eyes. You stand up carefully, feeling a little better now before looking over to where the blot-monster had been last. You make your way over and stop before the pickaxe on the ground. With a grunt, you lift it up, staggering for a moment, before making your way back over to the side of the mine’s entrance.

You kneel down and gently place the pickaxe on the ground before using both hands to start digging a small but deep hole. The Seven are silent-- _even Queen Grimhilde doesn’t say anything about you getting dirt underneath your nails_ \--and you simply continue to dig. After a few minutes, you then shove a little less than half of the handle of the pickaxe into the hole you dug. You then move some dirt back to stabilize the pickaxe in the ground.

After a few more pats around the pickaxe sticking out of the ground, you then scoot back, still kneeling. You look at the tool that had once been used as a weapon...before you bowed slightly. You remember the emotions pouring out of the ink-monster. There was anger and frustration...but there was also _desperation_ and _sadness_.

“I hope you can rest peacefully now.” You whisper as you lift your head up, gazing at the pickaxe that had moonlight glinting off of the metal part.

You then sense Ace, Deuce, and Grim’s presences getting closer, so you get to your feet and head over to the entrance to meet them. Before you left the pickaxe completely, you thought you heard something, but the passing breeze made it hard to catch. And so you continue to walk, yet a warm feeling settles around you as you move forward.

_...Th..ank...you…_

~~

It turns out that you will never get used to Headmaster Crowley’s personality.

You blankly stare at the man _sobbing_ into his hands. First, when you walked into the Headmaster’s rather spacious office, your gaze immediately went to the framed pictures that had the faces of the Seven. You immediately sensed the Sevens’ mild displeasure through your bond, and you smiled awkwardly. Your guardians really aren’t fond of this man if they didn’t want even their pictures to be near him.

You had a moment to admire the room a little as Ace, Deuce, Grim, and you walked towards the Headmaster’s desk. Royal purple filled up most of the room, from the carpet on the stone ground, to the moon and star-patterned drapes by the windows. A warm, pink light filled the dim area, and you looked up to see a silver, candle chandelier. When you lowered your gaze to Headmaster Crowley’s desk, you saw two candelabras that were emitting a similar pink light as the chandelier.

You stopped looking around when all four of you came to a stop before the Headmaster’s desk, and he finally lifted his gaze from the paperwork he was doing, taking in all of your rumpled appearances with...mild confusion and concern. The masked man then ended up being shocked when you say that you all had actually gone to the Dwarf Mines; it must be the exhaustion you feel, but you kinda wanted to smack the Headmaster in the head at that moment. And then, after hearing the full story about what had happened in the mines, Headmaster Crowley had stared at all four of you...before _bursting into tears_. And this man had already been writing the expulsion forms for Ace, Deuce, and Grim...

You want to slap your forehead, but that would be a rude thing to do in front of the masked man. You had also wanted to ask about the ink-monsters in this world, but you really didn’t want to deal with anything more at this point. You then hear Lord Hades begin to speak.

{Can we--}

‘No.’

{But Matchstick...!} The Lord of the Underworld whines.

‘ _No_.’

“In _all_ these years that I've been Headmaster…!” Headmaster Crowley then says, lifting his face from his hands, golden eyes filled with emotion. “F-For the day to come that students from Night Raven College to go hand-in-hand to face and defeat their enemy! Oh! This is truly a day to remember!”

“ ** _What_**?” Deuce splutters before taking a big step away from Ace. “I did not hold this guy’s hand! O-Or _anyone’s_ hand!”

“Yeah, that’s gross, Headmaster.” Ace groans as you frowns in Deuce’s direction before looking over at the masked man. The gingerhead then looks a little nervous but hopeful. “But, uh...does that mean the expulsion is rescinded…?”

“Ahem!” Any traces of crying seem to disappear as if he never did such a thing. Headmaster Crowley then nods his head at Ace’s question, and you sense the tension disappear from the three standing-- _well, one of them was floating_ \--next to you. “Yes, I suppose that you have all done what was asked of you. And this further strengthens my belief of you, Mx. Yuu!”

Huh? You had been watching Ace, Deuce, and Grim out of the corner of your eye with fondness, but now you turn your full attention to Headmaster Crowley with confusion and mild wariness. You didn’t really like how the masked man’s golden eyes sparked.

“Mx. Yuu, I sincerely believe that you are essential to the future of this academy.” Headmaster Crowley says seriously...before smiling brightly, hands folded beneath his chin. “I wish to make you a student of this learning institution, for you have excellent potential to be an incredible mage.”

...Wh..What…? What the _heck_? You barely hear Ace, Deuce, and Grim reacting with surprise beside you. Your thoughts are a mess-- _the Seven are a bit chaotic as well_ \--but you find words to say.

“B-But Headmaster…? I thought I would be an employee that worked under Mr. Sam?”

“Yes, yes~! I talked it over with Mr. Sam.” Headmaster Crowley said before explaining further. “You can be a student while continuing your work with Mr. Sam. At the end of school, you can work for a few hours since he’s open rather late into the night for the sake of the hardworking students. You can gain money while receiving excellent education. Aren’t I gracious~?”

Graciously _overwhelming_ , is what you say internally as you look at him with bafflement. Why...would this man want to enroll you into this school? You see...absolutely no benefits for Headmaster Crowley from this. Your eyebrows pinch together with confusion.

“Ah, I see that you are a bit hesitant, but the school will welcome you with open arms, Mx. Yuu. You are rather gifted, using magic without the assistance of a crystal.” The Headmaster says cheerfully. “And you can help Mr. Grim get adjusted to school life by studying alongside him. Mr. Grim and you can become a two-person dorm, and you will act as the dorm head!” 

“W-Wait, _wait_ , **_wait_** …!” You stutter, eyes wide. You feel the shocked gazes of the three beside you, but you can only look at the Headmaster. “Headmaster Crowley, I-I don’t think I’m qualified for such things--!”

“Nonsense, Mx. Yuu! From what these three explained, you used great leadership to keep them safe from whatever abomination that tried to harm you all.” Headmaster Crowley beams at you as his eyes glow. Damn it. He’s not going to listen to you, is he? The masked man’s expression then grew slightly serious. “However, this means that you will have to keep Mr. Grim from making any more messes in the future. Is that understood?”

“...I understand.” You reply, feeling a little off balance as you stare back at the now smiling Headmaster with incredulity.

“Haha, _wow_ , Yuu~!” You hear Ace then chuckle. You look at him and see him grinning with amusement. “Looks like you got promoted quickly. Should I call you Dorm Leader Yuu from now on?” 

“ _Ace_...please don’t.” You say with exhaustion, and he just laughs. Deuce chuckles a little too while Grim was just looking at the Headmaster and you with a mix of confusion and surprise at the sudden developments.

“Ah, and before I forget,” Headmaster Crowley then says. “I have something to hand to each of you, Mr. Grim, Mx. Yuu.” You blink in idle surprise before you see the man wave one of his gold-tipped hands around. “Firstly, Mr. Grim…” A spark of magic swirls around Grim, and you watch as a black and white ribbon with a purple gem appears around his neck. The cat-monster looks down at the new collar with shock before looking over at the Headmaster, who began to explain. “With this, you are now officially a student at Night Raven College, Mr. Grim. Normally, students have their magic crystals in the forms of magic pens, but it would be rather difficult to grip one with your paws--... _he’s not listening anymore_.”

You eye Grim, who was singing to himself about his new collar, and you hold back a bark of laughter at the sight. Ace and Deuce seem amused and exasperated as they watched Grim completely ignore Headmaster Crowley.

{Now he knows how others feel.} Lord Hades snorts.

“Well then, on to you, Mx. Yuu.” Headmaster Crowley says, and you stand a little straighter as he focuses on you. With a wave of his hand once again, and you move your hands in front of yourself, palms up, to catch a rather outdated-looking camera. You felt a warm hum of magic from the item, and so you lifted your gaze to look at the Headmaster, who started to speak. “That right there in your hands is a Ghost Camera. It is a very unique camera with a special ability-- _Memory: A Fragment of Remembrance_ \--that captures the soul of a subject and moment being taken. The souls of the photographer and the photographed become deeply connected to the photo, and the Memory will come jumping out!”

“Woah, isn’t that thing really old? I think my grandma had one of those. And it sounds like a creepy thing to scare people...” You hear Ace whisper to Deuce, but he quiets when Headmaster Crowley narrows his eyes at him, seeming to have heard the gingerhead.

“ _Ahem_! I would like you to take care of this device, Mx. Yuu.” Headmaster Crowley continues while you rub your thumb over the gold-colored, metal part of the camera given to you. You lift your head to look at him with mild confusion, and he smiles. “Mx. Yuu, please take photos of Mr. Grim and the other students to leave behind many memories of your lives in this academy.”

You feel like you’ve forgotten to breathe for a moment...before lowering your gaze to the camera in your hands. It was certainly an old device, but you could feel the warm magic from it. Memories, huh? You never really got to record the good ones, and it was always hard to forget the bad ones. At the moment though? You feel a little...happy? Headmaster Crowley had given it to you, and told you to make memories with others. A smile starts to form on your lips as you glance over at Grim, who was eyeing you for a moment before he grins haughtily.

“Make sure you take a lot of good pictures of me, henchman!” He says, and you laugh.

“Of course, Lord Grim.” You then look over at Headmaster Crowley and bow a little towards him. “Thank you, Headmaster.”

“Of course, Mx. Yuu. And, ah...you can take some Memories of those misbehaving, yes? It’ll be a subtle way to report to me.” The masked man says, and your smile goes a little lopsided. You’re not sure how to feel about the camera now. He was openly telling you to snitch on bad people. “Now, it’s rather late and we can save any detailed conversations for tomorrow. Return to your dormitories, everyone.”

“Yes, Headmaster. Please excuse us.” Deuce says for all four of you, and then you all leave the office, stepping out into the moonlit, stone hallways. The door shuts behind the four of you with a click, and Ace is the first to sigh deeply.

“ _Maaaan_ , I’m beat.” The gingerhead groans.

“Thank goodness the expulsion was rescinded…” Deuce sighs, a gloved hand placed on his chest.

“Ha! Yeah, it almost looked like you were going to cry, Deucy~!” Ace then decides to jab at the navy-haired teen, who sneers in the other’s direction.

“Ugh, I can’t believe I now have to see your ugly mug everyday.”

“Right back at you, you littl--”

“I can’t believe you two still have energy to bicker like this.” You interrupt with more amusement than exasperation, and Grim snickers beside you. “Shouldn’t we all get along now after what happened at the Dwarf Mines?”

“Don’t give me goosebumps, Yuu.” Ace complains as he gives an overexaggerated shiver. “Do ya’ like saying mushy things like that?”

“Hmph, even if you don’t like it, we _will_ be seeing each other from now on, right?” Deuce hums thoughtfully before looking over at you and Grim with a tentative smile.

“I guess so.” Ace groans a little before he shoves his hands into his pockets with a huff. He looks at Grim and you as well before smirking a little, nodding his head in acknowledgement. “See you tomorrow, Grim...and _Dorm Leader Yuu_.”

“Please stop.” You reply with exasperation, and Ace barks out a laugh while Deuce chuckles. You then glance at Grim, and his tail is still happily swaying in the air as he looks down at the ribbon around his neck. Looking at their smiling faces, you then look down at the camera in your hands, and you tentatively speak. “Could we...take a picture together?” The area becomes silent all of a sudden, and you grow nervous, gaze still lowered. The Seven whisper to assure you that you didn’t say anything wrong, but you couldn’t help but feel insecure. “I-I mean, if you don’t want to, then--”

“Gimme that.” And you watch, surprised, as Ace snags the Ghost Camera from you.

You look at him with mild apprehension, but he looks over at Deuce and motions his head over to you. Deuce moves to stand at your left and Ace shuffles over to your right. Grim floats above your head, and you’re just confused, eyes finally landing on Ace when he flips the camera around so the lens is facing you four. Sensing your befuddled gaze, Ace looks over at you and smirks.

“Your arms are too short to hold the camera for us, _Dorm Leader_ ~” He explains playfully, and you widen your eyes a little. He then turns to face the camera, and you do the same, still stunned. You gaze into the dark lens of the camera in front of you, and you’re not sure what expression you want to make at the moment. Ace then speaks once more, amusement curling in his words. “Everyone say, ‘Prefect Yuu’!”

And your lips twitch upwards into a smile. Ah, Ace won’t stop teasing you about that, will he? You bet Deuce will do the same later on. Grim probably didn’t care, too happy that he was now a part of this school officially. Now, Ace and Deuce have gone back to their dorm, and you are walking with Grim down the halls, looking down at the image that was starting to appear in the photo that was taken. You look terrible, honestly, in the moving photo, but a warmth forms in your chest.

You are happy.

~~

“That doesn’t look too good, young’un.” Mr. Boone says with a sympathetic hiss as Mr. Mosstyn silently helps you wrap bandages around your lower back, and you hear Mr. Jasur in the background make sounds of agreement.

You had been...hesitant at first about getting help from the ghosts to patch up your back a little, but you had difficulty twisting around. You thought about just having Mr. Mosstyn help you with the bandages, but you...you thought back to your conversation with the skinny ghost on the second floor’s veranda.

‘Dead men tell no tales’.

Perhaps you could...trust them a little with your scars. You don’t like showing them to strangers, since they always disgust people, but the ghosts might be like Mr. Horns and be indifferent, asking nothing about them. Man, you keep saying this, but you’re attempting to trust a lot of people in this new world. Or you’re just being too naïve. Besides, the ghosts might see the scars later on if you continue to live here. Better to deal with the drama now then wait for it.

And so the ghosts of the rundown dorm got to see a good portion of the scars on your back. You had grown nervous when they went absolutely silent, just like Mr. Horns. There were no noises of disgust...but the bathroom you are currently in became _colder_ all of a sudden. You couldn’t see the ghosts’ faces, so you were unsure what their emotions were like. You think you saw your breath form a small, white wisp in front of you, but then the chill disappeared before Mr. Mosstyn murmured that he would come back with a medkit.

And now, while Mr. Mosstyn patches you up, you sit on a stool that was placed in the center of the bathroom...which is currently much better looking than it was before. Once you had returned to the dorm with Grim, you had quickly noted the fact that the rundown dorm looked...fixed? There were still some boarded-up windows, and a few visible holes, but, from the outside, you saw that some of the broken walls and the entrance doors looked almost brand new.

When you finally entered the dorm with Grim, the living room and open kitchen area looked tidied up. There were no cabinet doors hanging from their hinges, no couches, chairs, or tables flipped over and broken. There were also lanterns on the walls of the living room, letting out soft, yellow light to brighten up the area a little. And the wooden floorboards of the first floor were now an even surface to walk on, looking recently waxed; you could see your reflection a little.

Checking the second floor of the dorm, it wasn’t as fixed as the first floor, but the hallway had functioning lanterns hanging on the walls, and the doors didn’t look like they were barely hanging on their hinges anymore. When you entered your shared room with Grim, you were surprised by how...clean it was. You couldn’t see any cobwebs or a single speck of dust in sight. It was like walking into an unused hotel room, the air free of musty, damp wood and dust. Your bed was made, the walls had new wallpaper, the desk in the corner had a new chair.

When you entered the bathroom you used last night, you were surprised to see the ceremonial robes you had been soaking hanging, dry and fixed, by the bathtub; the silk edges you had torn off for bandages were back to the way they were before, as if nothing had happened. The large mirror was no longer cracked, and the sinks and bathtub could now provide warm and hot water without you having to use your magic. And the floor had new cream-colored tiles that filled up the holes in the ground, plush, green rugs placed at the foot of the bathtub and the sinks…

...Almost everything looked like it had been replaced by something brand new. When you asked the ghosts about it, they tell you that, since you and Grim are their guests, they wanted to fix and tidy up the place a little. They also mentioned that they had help from a large handful of…‘ _little friends_ ’. You were confused on who these ‘little friends’ could be, but you sensed the lingering, warm magic left behind from them. The place wasn’t completely fixed, and there was still a small layer of dust over a few things, but you were very grateful for the ghosts and the ‘little friends’ that helped fix up the place; you could probably take care of the rest on your own. 

“That should do it…” Mr. Mosstyn says softly before he floats back, snapping you out of your thoughts.

“Thank you, Mr. Mosstyn.” You say as you tug the slightly oversized dress shirt you were currently wearing down, covering your bandages and your scars from sight.

You got to take a nice, warm, normal bath in the newly fixed tub. There was still no soap available just yet, but you were happy that you didn’t have to keep awkwardly scooping warm water onto your body in order to bathe. You surprisingly didn’t smell all too bad, but you put on a light scent-canceling spell for the sake of others. Could ghosts smell things?

You’re thinking about random things again, and you sigh internally, looking down at the white dress shirt and gray slacks you were now wearing. You had to wash the coat and other clothes you had been wearing after today; you’re currently wearing something from Mr. Mosstyn’s old wardrobe. You stand up from the stool and turn around to smile at Mr. Mosstyn and the other two ghosts--before yelping when a towel obscures your vision.

“Your hair’s still wet, kiddo!” Mr. Jasur scolds you playfully, and you smile awkwardly as you start drying your hair with the towel on your head. “Can’t have ya’ catchin’ a cold now, hm? It’ll be your first day of school tomorrow.”

Ah, you had almost forgotten about that. You kinda dread what could happen...oh! Perhaps, if you run into Mr. Horns again at the school, you’ll let him know about your current situation, invite him over, and then ask how to message him more. However...was that...too pushy of you? What if he acted like he never met you before? Would he avoid you if he saw you--?

{You shouldn’t have such negative thoughts, guppy.} Mistress Ursula murmurs, and you blink...before relaxing a little. Yes, thinking like this wouldn’t really get you far anywhere.

“Hey, young’un.” Mr. Boone then calls out to you, and you hum inquiringly as you move the towel from your head, looking at him with curiosity. You set the towel down on the side and spread it out to let it dry. Mr. Boone had a look of mild confusion on his face before pointing at his own chubby right hand with his left. “Don’tcha wanna change those bandages there?”

You pause and...you’ve _forgotten_ a little. You look over at...your still bandaged right hand. You feel something in your gut squirm uncomfortable, but you put on a smile as you look back over at Mr. Jasur, Mr. Mosstyn, and Mr. Boone.

“I can take care of it. You can leave the medkit with me, and I’ll put it back when I’m d--”

“Perhaps you should keep it near you.” Mr. Mosstyn says, and he’s looking at you with a surprising amount of intensity. He smiles weakly at you, floating over to hand the medkit to you. “...I worry for you, youngster-- _we **all** do_\--so help put these old men’s minds to ease, hm?”

You widen your eyes with surprise, taking the medkit reflexively. You glance over at Mr. Jasur and Mr. Boone, watching them nod their heads in agreement. You smile a little in their direction and bow your head a little towards them, gratitude filling you. When straighten up, a thought comes to you.

“Oh, I should get Grim to take a bath.” You murmur mostly to yourself. That furball had been pretty much rolling around in dust and dirt at the mines.

“Heh, we can take care of that~!” Mr. Boone says cheerfully, but you look at him with concern.

“But...Grim can _burn_ you.”

“We won’t be really harmed, and we’ll make sure not to drown the wild raccoon.” Mr. Jasur hums as he then urges you out of the bathroom and towards your room. The smallest ghost of the three then smiles over at Mr. Mosstyn and Mr. Boone. “He should be down in the living room, lounging on one of the couches.”

“We’ll go and get ‘im then~!” Mr. Boone cheers while Mr. Mosstyn follows the chubby ghost towards the staircase that led to the first floor. “We’ll be back soon, Jassy!”

“Are you sure--?” You try to ask as you stand in front of your door, but Mr. Jasur laughs cheerfully.

“Just rest, kiddo! You’re making me tired by just looking at you.” The small ghost says playfully, but there’s a slightly stern glint in his glowing eyes. “Go change those bandages and get some sleep, okay?”

{You must rest now, Dragon-Child,} Mistress Maleficent murmurs. {For our sake.}

You bite your lower lip for a moment...before finally nodding at Mr. Jasur, who beams brightly as he tips his top hat to you.

“Have a good night, kiddo! We’ll try to keep the noise down to a minimum.” He hums, and that just makes you a little worried. You can just imagine all of the yowling Grim will do, and so you smile wearily at Mr. Jasur with some concern.

“Call me if you guys need me, Mr. Jasur.” You say softly, gripping the medkit in your hands tightly, but Mr. Jasur nonchalantly waves you on before flying down to the floor below.

You watch him go for a moment before finally entering your room, shutting the door behind you with a soft click. You shuffle over to your bed and sit on the edge, setting the medkit down beside you before opening it up. You then look over at your bandaged right hand with a slight frown before reaching out to it.

But then you paused before you could even touch the bandages. Why...were you hesitating? Your heart beat loudly in your ears, and you clench your left hand into a tight fist for a moment. After a few seconds, you exhaled and began to remove the bandages--before freezing at the sight of _something_ underneath the white stripes.

...You stare down at the near-black **_stain_** on the palm of your right hand...and you stare some more. You turn your right hand over, but there was nothing on the back, so you flipped it palm-up again. It looks like a very, very bluish-black bruise, and it was resting at the center of your palm.

“... _Huh_.” You utter dumbly. The bad feeling is still there in your gut as you stare at the... _stain_ on your palm. You don’t like how it looks similar to ink.

{What...is _that_?} Queen Grimhilde grits out, disgust and horror mingling together.

{Does it hurt, dearie?} The Queen of Hearts quietly asks as you then move your left hand up, pressing your thumb into the blemish on your palm. It didn’t hurt. You start rubbing at it, expecting the stain to smudge, but it stays there, as if it were tattooed there.

{...I cannot detect anything from it.} Lord Jafar eventually murmurs. {Are you sure that you feel nothing from it, Diamond?}

“I... _no_ , I don’t feel any pain from it.” But you still felt uneasy as you stared at the stain on your palm. How did you injure your palm again? It was on a random rock that you had sliced your hand open while you were climbing. This wasn’t some sort of infection, was it? But nothing hurt and Lord Jafar couldn’t sense anything. So what could’ve happened…?

You then blink out of your thoughts, unsure how long you sat there, staring at the ink-like stain at the center of your palm. You then numbly reached out for a roll of bandages from the medkit, quickly wrapping your right hand up again. Strangely, you felt more relaxed when the bluish-black blemish was gone from your sight.

{I’ve never seen such a thing before…} Queen Grimhilde murmurs, and she sounds on edge.

{Do you think it has something to do with being in this world?} Mistress Ursula inquires, voice calculating as you start to put the bandages away. {Maleficent, what do you think?}

{......I am not certain.} The draconic fae says quietly, and you pause for a brief moment as you set the closed medkit down on the stand by your bed, next to the Ghost Camera that was also placed there.

{But you know something.} Lord Scar rumbles, and you sense him prowling about with aggravation.

{What about you, you childish fool?} Lord Jafar hisses, his words directed at Lord Hades.

{...I don’t want to be right for once.} Lord Hades rasps, sounding uncharacteristically old all of a sudden. You then realize that the oldest of the Seven are the ones who apparently know something...and they seem shaken. You send concern through the bond towards all of them.

“It doesn’t hurt. Really.” You say softly, not wanting the Seven to be so worried. You smile awkwardly to the emptiness of the room, holding back a yawn as your eyelids began to feel a little heavy. “I’m...fine...”

The Seven are quiet...and then Mistress Maleficent sighs softly. You rub your left palm into your eyes, feeling the weight of today’s events press down onto you. You might just pass out right now after that warm bath. You didn’t eat anything for dinner, but your stomach still feels uncomfortable with eating something at the moment; you’ll have something when you wake up tomorrow.

{...You should rest, dear one.} She murmurs softly, and you feel her hand gently brush over your head, and you find yourself nodding along sleepily. {We can discuss this tomorrow.}

“...M’kay…” You mumble as you start to lie down, moving the blankets around so you could be under them. It doesn’t take long after your head touches your pillow; you fall asleep in an instant.

~~

**_You hear heavy footsteps rush by, the sound of grass rustling reaching your ears. Opening your eyes, you find yourself in a garden, surrounded by tall hedges. You inhale softly, the scent of roses hitting your nose as you begin to walk, brushing your hand over the hedge next to you. You could feel the leaves, which were cool and slightly wet with dew; had it rained recently? You lift your head to the gray sky covered with clouds._ **

**_“Hurry and paint the roses red, or the flowers will wilt soon!”_ **

**_You pause in your walk a little when you hear the voice of one of your card-soldiers, along with more stomping. You frown a little, gripping your scepter tightly. What was with this racket? Your soldiers should know the rules by now._ **

**_“Hurry, hurry! There are still some that aren’t painted!” You hear another soldier shout, and you start making your way down the grassy path towards the voices. What was going on? What was this disorder?_ **

**_“Why are you painting the white roses red?” You hear a voice you’ve never heard before. The owner of the voice sounds naïve--and what was that about_** _white_ ** _roses? They should be_** _red_ ** _. They_** have ** _to be red._**

**_“Why, you ask? Well, to tell you the truth, we made a mistake and accidentally planted white roses.” You hear a soldier nervously respond, and your hands tremble a little. How long have the roses been like this? You grit your teeth as you walk a little faster, the voices growing closer._ **

**_“The Queen loves red, so if she sees white, then it’s off with our heads!” Yes. It would be off with all of their heads. The roses must be red instead of white. How could they do this? They were disrupting the order of your kingdom! Should you call the palace guards over?_ **

**_“Is that so?” The soft voice spoke again, and you pause by the entrance to the main rose garden. These fools even let an intruder into your most cherished part of the palace. They deserve more than a simple beheading; perhaps you should do it yourself._ **

**_“Yes, it is. That’s exactly why we’re painting them red.” Another soldier replies earnestly to the soft voice. The roses must be red. They have to be red, or you’ll go ma--...no. No,_** _no_ ** _,_** no ** _. You weren't_** mad ** _. You’re not like_** them ** _. You’re bringing_** order ** _to this chaotic and insane kingdom. Your grip tightens on your scepter._**

 ** _The smell of roses gets stronger, and then you..._** open your eyes?

You blink, staring up at the ceiling above you. All you can hear at the moment was your breathing and...another’s. You turn your head slightly to see Grim lying on his pillow, sprawled on his back as he mutters something inaudible, the magic crystal resting against his chest jingling softly when he shifts a little. You then remember where you were at the moment: inside the rundown dorm. You slowly look back up at the ceiling and blink your eyes rapidly, the strong scent of roses still lingering in your head.

{...You alright, kid?} Lord Hades asks cautiously.

‘I...I think so.’ You reply quietly.

What an... _odd_ dream. You felt like you had become someone else for a moment. It wasn’t exactly one of your nightmares, but it was a weird dream. It felt extremely vivid too; your senses almost felt heightened in a way as you took everything in. What exactly happened again? You were wandering in some sort of hedge maze...and then--

You sit up in bed abruptly, your senses stretching outwards. You scan the room sharply. Glancing over at Grim, you bundle up your blankets, cast a warming spell on it, and surround him with it. You then swing your legs over the edge of the bed, your bare feet touching the ground. You then silently, yet briskly, make your way to the door that led to the hallway outside. You sensed that something-- _or someone_ \--was approaching the dorm. You didn’t like how their magic seemed muted, as if they were hiding themself. Had someone sneaked onto school grounds?

{Who would want to sneak into this place?} Lord Hades mutters, and you wonder as well.

You quietly open your door and shut it behind you with a soft click. You swiftly move down the hall and towards the flight of stairs, not a single floorboard creaking beneath you. Glancing at the slightly boarded windows beside you, you can see that the sky is still black, barely edging towards the blue of dawn.

“Youngster?” You hear a voice whisper, and you turn your head to see Mr. Mosstyn, Mr. Boone, and Mr. Jasur there. Mr. Mosstyn looks at you with concern, studying your face. “What’re you doin’ up? It’s still too early before school starts.”

“...Someone’s heading towards the dorm.” You reply softly, and the ghosts look at you with mild confusion as you walk past and start heading down the steps.

“Youngster, why don’t you go back to bed?” Mr. Mosstyn says gently as he follows. “We can handle the late night visitor.”

“Yeah, it might just be the Headmaster.” Mr. Boone says. “You don’t have a school uniform to wear yet, so maybe he’s droppin’ it off right now, young’un!”

{If it is that incompetent fool, then we should just ignore him.} Queen Grimhilde hisses sharply.

“I don’t think it’s him.” You murmur in response to both the ghosts and the Seven. The ghosts seem to note how tense you are at the moment as you reach the end of the stairs and step off onto the living room floor.

“...I’m sure we can scare whoever’s out there away.” Mr. Jasur offers, and you finally send a weary smile in the ghosts’ direction as they continue to follow you.

“Let me check who it is first.” You reply with a chuckle as you exit the living room and arrive at the foyer.

The presence is almost at the door, and you frown slightly when you start to... _recognize_ the magic a little. Was...was **_Ace_** in front of the dorm right now? What was he doing here? And why was his magic... _muted_? Concern makes you quickly cross the foyer in a handful of large steps, stopping before the entrance doors.

{Why would that redhead be lurkin’ around here?} Lord Hades verbalizes your thoughts.

You pause for a moment once your fingers wrap around the cold door handle, feeling your magic stir at the ready incase this was all some sort of convoluted sneak attack. Were you being overly paranoid? Yes, but it was better to be prepared for anything. You open the door, immediately noting the raised fist that looks like it had been about to knock on the other side.

Once the door was opened fully, you made eye-contact with amber eyes. Ace’s expression is pinched as he drops his raised fist to his side, looking like he had eaten something extremely sour. Also, you are concerned to find that it didn’t look like he slept at al--......

…What...is **_that_**...?

The look of irritation fades from Ace’s face when he seems to study you for a moment, but you’re not really looking at his face anymore. Ace shuffles in place under your gaze, yet you cannot stop yourself from staring.

“Haha…?” Ace laughs nervously, raising his gloved hand up to rub the back of his head. “Uh, good evening, Y--?”

His words fade out, and it sounds as if you were underwater all of a sudden. You are staring at what was around his neck, and your insides twist at the magic that resides there. What was around Ace’s neck wasn’t like Grim’s fancy ribbon. What you’re looking at right now around Ace’s neck was...

...a collar.

It was a _damn_ **_magic-restraining_** collar.

Your hand jerkily goes up towards the **_abomination_** wrapped around Ace’s throat--but you freeze when the ginger-haired student takes a startled step backwards, his amber eyes wide as he looks at you. He looks almost afraid, but mostly surprised, at your sudden actions. And so you stay where you are, arm still raised in the air...before you lower it, gaze still on that…...th-that **_thing_** wrapped around Ace’s throat. After a few more seconds of doing nothing, you realize that someone is calling out to you. Your eyes refocus on Ace, and you see that his mouth is moving.

“-- _uu_? Uh, _hello_? You in there, Yuu?”

A tense silence falls upon both of you, and Ace looks at you nervously. The Seven whisper softly, and you feel different hands soothingly pat your head or shoulder. You lower your gaze to the ground and inhale...before exhaling long and slow. You need to calm down.

“...I’m sorry.” You manage to finally utter softly, voice raw-sounding as your gaze flickers up to Ace’s face and then back down to the collar around his neck. Your right hand hurts a little. “It’s chilly outside, so why don't you come inside first.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're all doing well. Thank you for reading, and here's some s'mores before you all leave. :)))


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